


Under The White Tree

by Annelie_Keniston



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blood and Injury, Cetra - Freeform, Cute, Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fate & Destiny, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Magic, Minor Character Death, Mutual Pining, Pining, Relationship(s), SOLDIER - Freeform, Secrets, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Tension, The Lifestream (Compilation of FFVII), Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2020-09-22 22:22:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 18
Words: 74,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20329333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annelie_Keniston/pseuds/Annelie_Keniston
Summary: “We who are born of the planet, with her we speak. Her flesh we shape. Unto her promised land we shall one day return. By her loving grace and providence may we take our place in paradise.” Poem about the Cetra - Final Fantasy 7 RemakeThere are three Cetra left on the planet: Minerva, the embodiment of Gaia's will; Aerith, a perceptive, quirky healer with the Holy materia; and Sephya, a reckless, cocky black magic expert who knows more than she lets on.The lives and duties of these three are linked, to each other and to the planet. They are cogs turning in a massive, intricate system.It all began with the accidental transfer of a lifetime of memories through the lifestream...Aerith and Sephya live in relative peace with Elmyra in Midgar, but while they try to make the most of it despite the burdens on their shoulders, another of Gaia's neverending cycles is reaching its end, and Jenova is infecting the lifestream. Sephya sets things in motion by joining SOLDIER after years of planning, and the unlikely love she finds there will put everything at risk.(This work will be updated every month on the 20th)





	1. Temporary Partners

Sephya smiled to herself as she walked out of the elevator and stepped for the first time into floor 49 of the Shinra building. The hub of SOLDIER. The marble floor was so polished she could see her reflection, and the predominant colors were grey, blue, and red. It was a pristine environment, with splashes of green here and there from potted plants and bright screens showing Shinra related news and announcements. The smell of lemon-scented cleaning products lingered in the air. Smirking to herself, Sephya resumed her stride through the silent halls after soaking in the austere atmosphere of her new workplace.

She would probably have to get used to this place and its bittersweet scent, it might be a while before she could carry out her plan. After training both mind and body for years, she was now a step closer to her ultimate objective. A SOLDIER 3rd class, fresh out of a series of grueling tests, and physical and psychological examinations, ready to do Shinra's bidding. To an extent. In the interest of full disclosure, she was actually eager to head out and get some exercise. She'd spent the previous day cooped up in stuffy meeting rooms with directors and supervisors in expensive sharp suits, and it had grated on her nerves. She'd joined SOLDIER to put her skills to use, and a few other things, not sit around all day chatting it up about rules and regulations. 

Chin up and shoulders squared, Sephya navigated the halls with no hesitation in her steps, using a mental image of the floor plan she'd made sure to memorize to guide her way. She tried to school her features into an impassive expression, but something was still eating at her and kept making her purse her lips. During one of the meetings the previous day, she'd been told she would have to leave behind her weapon of choice, a double-bladed scythe that was custom made and had cost a fortune. Her combat boots pounded the spotless floor harder as she glanced at the leather scabbard around her hips and the standard-issue sword secured to it. She had trained a bit with longswords, but they didn't fit her focused on agility fighting style, and she had had to work her butt off to afford that scythe. Maybe she could get clearance if she talked to the right person...

At least they'd let her keep her normal battle clothes, for the time being, until her goddam uniform was ready. She was tiny for a SOLDIER, yeah, sure, but did they have to point that out on her first day? Because she needed custom made, tiny uniforms? Damn lady at the front desk of the building was taller than her, for Gaia's sake, and she had just been assigned to a military group mostly comprised of big, bulky men. Men like Sephiroth, the hero no one seemed capable of shutting up about and was a damn giant as far as she knew. She was feeling tiny enough as it was, thank you very much.

Still, confidence in her strength wasn't a problem for Sephya, never had been, and despite fearing them and the possible side effects at first, she'd got through the mako infusions just fine. Those had made for a strange experience. She was no stranger to the knowledge coursing through the lifestream and the planet, but it had still been overwhelming, an assault on all her senses at once, an ocean of truths she couldn't comprehend or retain, pulling her down, down, down. And if she fell, there would be no coming back up. But she had made it, and now that green glow of mako was in her jade eyes and in her veins, pulsing, a spring of new power to tap into. 

Knocking three times on the door marked with a metal plaque that read “briefing room”, Sephya got busy waiting for someone to call her in. The briefing room was one of those places you didn't just barge into. Walking in on the mission briefing of a first could lead to disciplinary actions that might end with brainwashing... but Sephya was biased, so maybe, maybe not. She wasn't in the mood to find out.

“Come in.” A deep and clear male voice called from the other side of the door soon after her last knock.

Steeling herself and locking her features into an all-business expression, Sephya opened the door and walked in, closing up after herself.

“Excuse me.” She said as she glanced around the room, sparsely decorated with a long metallic table lined with monitors and a console and larger monitor in the back. “SOLDIER 3rd class, Sephya Innes, reporting for duty.”

The two men in the room looked her over from top to bottom, quite blatantly too, before the blond one wearing glasses and a prim stripped blazer stepped forward. She recognized him thanks to a photo she had seen during one of her earfuls the previous day. He was the director of SOLDIER, Lazard Deusericus. The other guy, with spiky black hair and blue mako eyes she didn't recognize, but he was definitely a SOLDIER like her. A bulky one that towered over her and looked way too relaxed for the occasion.

“Sephya, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm Lazard, director of SOLDIER, and this here is Zack, SOLDIER 2nd class. We've been waiting for you.”

Lazard motioned to the young SOLDIER as he introduced him, and Zack stepped forward, holding a hand out to Sephya.

“Zack Fair, nice to meet you, Sephya.”

Sephya smiled for real for the first time in a while as she shook Zack's hand. He had a bright, genuine smile that reached his beautiful sky blue eyes, the kind of smile that was so disarming it could brighten a person's day all by itself, and despite being a rank above her, Zack didn't look stuck up or closed off. Quite the opposite, actually. He seemed so approachable, he could probably make friends with inanimate objects. 

“Nice to meet you too, umm…. Can I call you Zack?” She asked as she let go of Zack's hand and stepped back.

Zack chuckled and parked his hands on his hips. “Of course. Formalities aren't really my thing, to be honest.”

Zack made a funny face after saying “my thing”, and Sephya couldn't help laughing.

“Well, looks like we already agree on something.”

While Sephya got lost in Zack's goofy smile and eyes that reminded her of a cloudless sky, the director cleared his throat, and she straightened so fast she almost pulled a muscle. She might not like formalities, but SOLDIER was still a military group, so she had to be formal to a certain level, or risk getting kicked out. And what the hell was she doing, letting her guard down around a SOLDIER operative so easily? He might seem nice, and be the type of eye candy that was hard not to notice, but he was working for Shinra.

“Well, I see you two will have no problems getting along.” Lazard said with a smile. “Good thing too, because you have an assignment together.”

“Oh, really?” Sephya asked, unable to hide her surprise but still standing to attention with both hands linked behind her back. She hadn't expected to have company on her first mission, but if the company was Zack, she was cool with it. He didn't seem to be a pushover either.

Lazard nodded. “Yes, I thought it would be a good experience for both of you. Zack can teach you a few things and learn to deal with new recruits, and Sephya…” Director Lazard's piercing blue eyes narrowed on Sephya, seeming to examine her as a whole. “You had problems with teamwork during your exams, right?”

Busted, of course he would know. She was too used to fending for herself. “… Yes, sir.”

“Hey, no need to look so troubled. You passed the exams fair and square, and I'm not about to lecture you now. Just try to work together with Zack for now. That said, I have to ask…” Lazard brought a hand up to his chin, rubbing it lightly before continuing. “Why aren't you in uniform?”

Busted, again. “Right, about that…” Sephya glanced down at herself before answering, examining her outfit of choice. Her short black dress, with gold buttons running down the right side, leading to one of two side slits that revealed the black shorts she wore underneath, looked nothing like the SOLDIER uniform. It made for poor armor, too. But it was comfortable, and easy to move around in, and she was too tiny for her uniform… “My uniform is taking a bit longer to prepare because I'm… small…”

Sephya stared at one of the many bright blue monitors as she spoke, feeling kind of self-conscious about the whole ordeal and hoping Lazard couldn't read the discomfort in her expression, but she still noticed his eyes widening in realization behind his rimless glasses. And now Zack was checking her out, too. Great. And he wasn't obvious at all.

“Oh, is that what happened… It can't be helped I guess, but now I'm a bit reluctant to send you into battle without proper gear.”

Director Lazard's brows pulled together as he pondered the situation, and Sephya started fidgeting with the leather sword scabbard around her waist, wondering if it was alright to say she didn't mind. She was strong, now even more thanks to the mako and harsh training, and she was fast too, the fastest out of everyone in the group she had been examined with. It might not be a sure thing, but she was confident in her abilities, and not about to chicken out of her first mission because of a possible scratch or two. That said, she didn't know how much would be too much if she started talking back at the moment.

“Director, it'll be fine. Let Sephya go on the mission, and I'll make sure she doesn't get hurt.”

Sephya, who had been about to speak, stared at Zack with wide-eyed surprise as he spoke, completely confident in his ability to look out for her and himself.

All of a sudden, her cheeks warmed, and when Zack looked at her, she immediately looked away, trying to hide her face behind the fair strawberry blond bangs slipping out of her low ponytail. A long time, too long really, had passed since someone had tried to protect her, much less someone she had just met. Sephya wasn't used to people being that nice and it felt… weird.

“That's nice of you to say Zack, but I can't risk—”

“I can handle myself director, you know I can.”

Sephya's gaze didn't waver as she met the director's eyes, certain he knew what she was referring to. She was the most capable out of all of the new recruits they had just hired, standing out quite a bit from the rest, and she took pride in it. Her strength was something she had worked hard to hone, and she'd be damned if someone denied one of the few good things she had. Especially after the sacrifices she'd made to join SOLDIER… and the too real, too likely chance of it all being for nothing.

“I know Sephya, but that is why I don't want to risk it.”

Sephya crossed her arms, still staring the director down. “I won't be so easily killed, or hurt, director.”

Lazard held Sephya's stare for a moment, remaining silent, then sighed and sat on a chair close to the head of the table, turning on the monitor. The bright light cast shadows and accentuated the sharp angles of his face. “Fine then, but get that uniform sorted as soon as possible, alright?” Lazard said as he motioned for Sephya and Zack to stand closer to him.

“Yes, sir.” Sephya said as she went to stand beside the director's chair, exchanging a smile with Zack along the way.

The briefing didn't take long, but Sephya still shifted her weight from one foot to the other a bunch of times and caught Zack tapping his foot, his black combat boot creating a steady thump that stopped when Lazard gave him the side-eye. She had to press her lips together to stop herself from chuckling, and Zack grinned at her struggle, which made Lazard rub the bridge of his nose and groan.

As it turned out, she and Zack were teaming up to take on a weapon in development by Shinra. It was supposed to be a powerful machine, meant to support SOLDIER units out on field missions, but it was new and in need of testing before getting any real use. It sounded like a boring enough assignment at first, but the battle was for real and the machine wouldn't be pulling any punches, the programming was still a bit unstable even, so Sephya was excited to see what would come of it.

As they exited the briefing room, headed to the testing area, Sephya and Zack crossed paths with Sephiroth, who greeted them with a curt nod on his way to the elevator. Sephya couldn't help following the SOLDIER hero with her eyes for a moment, awestruck by his imposing aura of power. She'd seen him before on TV and photos in the newspaper and even magazines, but nothing could compare to the presence he had in the flesh.

He was an attractive man, but that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to him. He had an eerie aura around him, and his eyes, they were the weirdest out of everyone at SOLDIER. Out of everyone Sephya had ever met. Sephiroth had cat-like pupils and his mako eyes were mostly green with a hint of blue around the slit pupils, and that made his stare unnervingly piercing. Maybe downright threatening.

“You okay, Sephya?” Zack asked, following the direction of her wandering eyes.

Snapping out of her gawking at Shinra's hero, Sephya focused on Zack, falling back into step with him after slowing down to stare at their coworker.

“Ah, yeah, sorry. It's just…”

“First time seeing Sephiroth?” Zack asked in a slightly amused tone, cocking an eyebrow.

Sephya nodded while adjusting the black ribbon holding her hair in a low ponytail. “Yeah… he has a lot of presence. Not surprising though, with how big he is.”

Zack chuckled as the sleek metallic door to the testing area slid open. “Yeah, this place is full of big guys, but that particular big guy has a tendency to stand out. Have you heard about the fan clubs?”

Sephya stepped into the testing area after Zack, frowning as the door slid shut behind her. “Fan clubs? Here?”

Zack nodded as he waved to a man in a lab coat, waiting all the way across the room. “Yeah, here… There's one for Sephiroth, one for Genesis, and one for my mentor, Angeal. Needless to say, Sephiroth has a lot of fans, even outside of SOLDIER and Shinra. I'm surprised you didn't know.”

Sephya chuckled uncomfortably, looking around at the barren control room to avoid meeting Zack's eyes. “Ahah… yeah, those things have a tendency to pass me by…”

Zack glanced at her, dark eyebrows pulled together, but didn't press for information and their conversation came to an end.

In silence, the temporary partners approached the man wearing a lab coat and received further information concerning their mission. The man was part of the R&D team developing the machine they would be testing and told the pair about the specs of the enemy they were about to face, among other useful details. He also told them they shouldn't hold back because the machine certainly wouldn't care and they could land themselves in hot water since it took time to deactivate the thing in case of an emergency. The information only served to increase Sephya's eagerness to start the mission and test her strength against one of Shinra's gadgets, and thankfully the talking part of things was done pretty fast.

Stepping through a heavy, reinforced door into the area where the fighting would actually be taking place, both Zack and Sephya unsheathed their weapons, getting ready after seeing their massive, mechanical opponent. The thing was still inactive, and while they waited for the tech on the other side of a reinforced glass window to fire it up, Sephya swung her sword around, first with two hands, then one with a lot of effort, trying to get a feel for the foreign weapon. It didn't feel right, as usual, but she would make do. She had to, or Lazard would be right in doubting her skills.

“Damn… I want my scythe back.” She muttered, eyes focused on the sword identical to Zack's.

Zack shifted his gaze to her, sword in hand while he jumped in place a few times. “Scythe?”

“Uh?” Sephya met Zack's confused gaze, snapping out of her grumpy thoughts. “Oh, yeah, it's the weapon I'm used to, but they said I have to use this sword for now.”

She held up the sword in her hand, just slightly, and Zack cocked an eyebrow, still hopping in place. He might have been even more hyperactive than her.

“Weapon you're used to? So you didn't train with a sword?” Sephya nodded, and Zack's expression changed to one of concern. “Then, will you be alright? Fighting with that I mean.”

Sephya sighed and figured she might as well come clean to the person whose skills she might soon need to fall back on.

Concentrating, she took a deep breath, focusing her mind on the sword. In seconds, the heavy object was floating in front of her, blade pointed at the metallic floor. Zack gasped, eyes wide as he faced her, and Sephya grabbed the sword, then swung it around with one hand like it weighed nothing, her strikes as fast and precise as ever. Zack just stared for a bit, probably in shock since even a big guy like him had trouble being agile with the heavy longsword.

“What the hell was that?”

Just as Zack was finishing his question, the machine they were about to fight sprung to life, the eerie red light at the center of its crab-like gunmetal gray body focusing on the two of them.

“Tell you later, we've got work to do. Back me up, Zack, I'll create an opening.”

Before Zack had a chance to say no, Sephya took off running in the direction of the machine towering over her. Making her sword light with some simple magic, she slashed at the machine's thick metal legs, swiftly striking all four and making the thing lose its balance for a moment. Certain she had the enemy's attention, she jumped over it, rolling in the air, and it turned with her, facing away from Zack.

“Zack!” She called while parrying heavy blows from the recovering machine, and countering when she could.

Her SOLDIER partner immediately sprung to action, rushing the machine's back and dealing heavy damage with slashes that had a lot more weight behind them than Sephya's. Which was the whole point, strength was the shortcoming she was trying to make up for by teaming up, after all, especially without her scythe. Sephya was fast, but being fast was her specialty, and it cost her blows the strength a stronger, slightly slower man like Zack could use. That also meant she had a harder time dealing with heavily armored enemies, like her current opponent.

Thanks to Zack's heavy blows, and despite Sephya's best efforts to hold the machine's attention with a flurry of fast slashes, the giant pile of metal ended up turning its attention to Zack. Just as Sephya started thinking the battle was under control and they could end it fast, the machine spun at high speed, throwing her back with a shock wave she parried, and using the momentum of the spin to land a crushing blow on Zack.

Despite blocking the attack at the last minute, Zack still got sent stumbling back by the force of the impact, and before he had a chance to fully recover, the machine struck again, forcing him to stay on the defensive to avoid getting knocked down with one blow.

Still recovering from her own shitty situation, Sephya bit into her bottom lip as she got to her feet, watching her partner struggle by himself against the onslaught of hammering hits from the machine's pointed legs.

“Tch, this is more troublesome than I thought it would be…” She muttered, tasting blood after cutting her lip with her canines. “Zack! Can you keep that thing contained for one more minute?!” She called out as she sheathed her sword and held out both hands, palms forward.

Zack blocked yet another blow, gritting his teeth as he did and getting pushed back a bit more. His back was getting dangerously close to a wall. “I can try, probably! But,” another heavy blow, spreading the loud clang of metal hitting metal around the empty testing room. The echoing clash was enough to make the ears ring. “What are you doing without your sword?!”

Zack's strained voice echoed around the room along with another screeching metal clash, and Sephya winced, trying to stop the noise from breaking her focus. She couldn't answer Zack's loud question, not now at least, and not if they wanted to finish the mission with no serious injuries. As for light injuries, Zack would definitely be feeling his arms in a few hours, and Sephya, well she would just have to wait and see…


	2. Special Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be just a SOLDIER helping a fellow SOLDIER, nothing more, nothing less... so why did her heart race like never before?

“Minute's almost up Sephya! And yeah, I'm counting!” Zack shouted just as Sephya finished casting, his strained but slightly joking tone making her smile as six crackling balls of condensed electricity appeared around her body.

In her rush to attack, Sephya registered Zack's shocked expression as an afterthought, which she had been expecting. She didn't know what kind of materia he was equipped with and hadn't bothered to ask, but she had only been given a sleep materia so far, and Zack was probably aware of it. No way she should be using advanced thunder magic, but that sleep materia wouldn't be stopping the pile of metal they were fighting anytime soon, so what choice did she have?

Not worrying about the consequences, for the time being, Sephya squeezed her eyes shut and funneled as much mana as she could into the sparking orbs, then sent them flying at the machine one after the other, aiming the first four at the legs to topple the thing and the last two at the red eye at its center.

As expected, the enemy's metal body was weak against lightning and sparks erupted from it, toppling the machine in front of a panting Zack. Gray/black smoke billowed out of their downed opponent, and the red light at its center dimmed, looking like it was about to blink out. Just as Sephya and Zack were beginning to relax though, the machine's red eye sprung back to life, glowing brighter than before, and red lasers shot out of it, sweeping the room haphazardly.

The machine's last-ditch attack was so randomly aimed, it was impossible to predict where it would hit and dodge. Too busy keeping herself alive to help Zack or even check how he was doing, Sephya ducked under a laser that almost grazed the top of her head, then had to actually lie face-down on the cold metal floor to avoid yet another stray red line of death.

“Zack! Are you okay?!” She asked as loud as she could as she sprung to her feet, unable to spot Zack.

“Still alive at least! You!?” Came a rich male voice from somewhere behind the rampaging pile of metal.

Sephya sighed with relief as she ran to their out of control opponent, jumping around to avoid the stray lasers as best she could. “Managing, somehow! And also about to make this thing eat my sword!”

“Ah, grea—wait, what!?”

Sephya smiled at Zack's surprised question just as she jumped onto the still fallen machine, but the smile was quickly wiped from her face.

Spotting the threat, the machine turned three lasers on Sephya while she hovered in mid-air. There was no dodging in her airborne state and she got hit with all three.

A stinging, burning pain erupted on her right thigh, followed by her left shoulder, and the last laser grazed her right cheek just under her eye. She bit into her lip again, intent on resisting the pain long enough to deal the final blow. If she got shot down now, someone would have to try again, and that meant Zack could be the next one getting hurt. Sephya figured since she was already hurt, she might as well finish it and keep the damage contained. And she preferred protecting to being protected.

“Stop,” she breathed as she landed close to the machine's center, raising her sword with both hands on the grip. “Moving you goddamn piece of scrap!”

With an angry scream, she shoved the sword into the machine's red eye, narrowly avoiding getting skewered by a laser that died with the hulking piece of metal.

Exhausted, with her heart trying to break through her ribs, Sephya jumped down from the broken machine and sprawled out on the cold steel floor. Through the ringing in her ears, she heard Zack's heavy footsteps as he rushed to her side, then his black combat boots and dark purple uniform pants appeared in her low line of sight.

“Sephya, are you okay!? And what the hell was that for!?” Zack pretty much shouted as he crouched down next to her, looking angry and worried all at the same time.

Sephya tried to shrug, but she was lying down and moving sucked at the moment. “The thing was looking mostly at you, so I thought I'd use the opening and finish it.” She stopped to suck some air into her burning lungs before continuing. “I wasn't expecting those three lasers to turn on me like that since they were all just flying around aimlessly, but at least it's done, and only one of us got hurt. I'd say we didn't suck too bad.”

She tried to smile, but the cut on her cheek forced her to stop, stinging like hell as it opened. Zack sighed and pushed a hand through his hair, then held out a gloved hand.

“Well, if you won't say it, I will. We sucked, and I sucked even worse for letting a girl get hurt in my place. And I even told the director I'd protect you…”

Sephya huffed, taking Zack's hand and allowing him to help her to her feet. “Wow, real macho words right there, Zack… And how do you think I feel? I told the director I wouldn't get hurt, this is embarrassing,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him as she released her messed up hair from the ribbon tying it. Zack's eyes seemed to follow the movement of her long hair as it cascaded down her shoulders and flowed to her hips. “You think I joined a military group because I was afraid of getting hurt? I'm not that frail, and I've been hurt worse than this. In training.” Sephya tried to keep her focus on the steady stream of words leaving her mouth as she walked to the door after Zack, limping slightly and hoping he didn't notice. “Of course, my sparring partner and mentor was a goddam monster without mercy, but still…”

Just as they were nearing the door, Zack stopped and Sephya almost bumped into his back. Looking up confused, she noticed he was holding out a muscular arm and waiting while staring at her over his shoulder.

“Umm… does your arm hurt? I don't really do healing magic, but--”

A long, exasperated sigh made Sephya go quiet while Zack turned to face her.

“No, my arm doesn't hurt, thanks to someone who doesn't do healing magic… I was hoping you would lean on me and stop trying to limp in secret.”

Sephya's eyes went wide at Zack's words, and she took a moment to make sure she had heard him right. He wanted her to lean on him? Really?

“You know hell will freeze over before I lean on you, right?” She asked all matter of fact.

Zack sighed again and parked his hands on his hips. “And why is that a fact, Sephya?” He asked, sounding as exasperated as he looked.

She shrugged, placing her black ribbon between her lips so she could comb her hair with her fingers. She winced as soon as she lifted her left arm though, remembering the cut on her shoulder a moment too late. “There's no need to lean on you, I'm fine and this shallow cut will close in a bit.” She said, giving up on the hair and removing the ribbon from between her lips to loosely tie it around her wrist instead.

Narrowing his eyes, Zack glanced at the cut on her leg and the dark red blood trickling down her milky skin. “That's not a shallow cut, and it will be bad to put weight on it. We need to hurry to the infirmary, so will you please just lean on me for a few minutes? Accepting help doesn't make you weak, Sephya.”

Zack looked dead serious as he spoke, and after taking another look at the messy cut on her leg, and feeling her bloody dress clinging to her shoulder as the cut there kept bleeding, Sephya sighed in defeat. What a day... working for Shinra was tougher than she had thought at first.

“Fine, let's just get this over with…”

Zack smiled at Sephya's reluctant agreement and offered his arm again. Feeling a surge of heat in her body that seemed to concentrate in her cheeks, she took a slow step closer to him and placed her palm on his bicep, sensing the bulging muscle tense slightly as her hand touched his warm skin. Her cheeks burned even further as she glanced up to find Zack looking intently at her, the faint green glow of mako shining in his piercing sky blue eyes. A lump suddenly formed in her throat and she forced herself to swallow, looking away while holding onto Zack's powerful arm with one hand.

“Alright, that wasn't so hard now, was it?”

Finding herself unable to speak, Sephya just shook her head, keeping her eyes trained on the floor. Zack chuckled at her reaction, then took a careful step forward and she followed.

“So, I guess hell is frozen now.” Zack joked and Sephya hit him with her "seriously?" stare.

“Shut up.” She said, heat coursing through her body when he winked, probably trying to lighten the mood but making her strangely aware of him.

It took a million years, or felt like it, but they eventually made it out of the testing room's battle area. With Zack doing most of the talking, they told the science guy they were going to the infirmary and that he should tell the director about the results of the mission, and also retrieve Sephya's sword from the machine's "face". Sephya and Zack would take care of their own reports later.

“Phew, it was slow going, but here we are.” Zack said when they reached a white door with a metal plaque that read “infirmary”.

Sephya let go of Zack's arm so he could knock on the door, and nearly breathed a sigh of relief when he moved away, taking the fuzzy feeling in her belly along with him. She didn't know where all these reactions were coming from, but she was starting to think she must be coming down with something. Or maybe it was just the blood loss making her weird.

“Oh come on, no one's here?” Zack complained when no one opened the door after a loud round of impatient knocking.

“Hey, Zack, there's a piece of paper stuck to the door,” Sephya said, pointing to a white sheet of paper taped to the door just under the metal plaque. She couldn't make it out from where she was standing, but it looked like there was something written on it.

“Oh, I totally missed that…” Laughing at his own distraction and cupping the back of his neck, Zack leaned in to read whatever was on the paper, then sighed. “Well, this is great. Sian is in a meeting with the science department. Says here we can go in and use the supplies, but she might not be back for a while.”

“Fine with me. If I can just slap a bandage on this and stop it from bleeding down my leg, I'll be good to go.” Sephya said, already walking around Zack and opening the door.

“Slap a bandage… You are the worst patient ever.” Zack complained as he walked in after her.

Before Sephya knew what was happening, her feet were no longer touching the floor and she was in Zack's arms, being carried to a metal-framed bed with neat white sheets. Her heart nearly burst out of her chest with shock and embarrassment. He was lucky the cuts were making it hard for her to move, or a punch to the face would be just the beginning of her "put me down now" reaction.

“Ah! Zack, what the hell!? Put me down right now or I _will_ shoot a fireball at your face!”

“Go ahead, we're already in the infirmary and I'm sure I can find something to reattach my head with around here.” Zack replied in a mocking tone, plopping Sephya down on the bed, then placing a gloved hand over the cut on her thigh.

“Ugh, what the hell is that for?!” She complained when her escape attempt caused pain to flare under Zack's palm.

“Let me help you with this, or I'll keep my hand there until you say yes.”

Sephya rolled her eyes so eagerly she nearly pulled a nerve, then fell back on the bed, too tired to argue. “Fine, knock yourself out… you're lucky I'm too tired to cast right now.”

Happy with his victory, Zack removed his now bloody hand from Sephya's leg and started walking around the pristine, mostly white room filled with the smell of sterilizer, taking stuff from various steel cabinets after removing his bloody gloves and washing his hands. While he sorted through the contents of a cabinet, moving glass bottles back and forth and peering into the well-organized space, Sephya removed her boots and placed them neatly beside the bed, happy to see the blood hadn't reached her shoes, just soaked the black socks that reached a bit higher than the boots.

When he returned to her side, Sephya had sat up on the bed and watched in silence while Zack placed rolls of gauze, a jar full of cotton balls, and a bottle of disinfectant down on the mattress next to her. Deciding it would be better if she was sitting sideways on the bed, with her legs hanging off the side, Sephya shimmied around until she was in position. Zack immediately cut her a look, probably thinking she was about to run off, and she held up her hands.

“Calm down big boy, I'm not running away. Yet…”

She grinned when she said 'yet', then laughed at Zack's annoyed expression.

“Alright you stubborn woman, show me that leg,” Zack said, sliding a hand under Sephya's hurt leg to lift it up.

His palm landed high on her thigh, and she flinched when he touched her, surprised by the sudden intimate contact. His big hand on her leg made her feel funny all over again, and she seriously wished she could blow a hole in the floor and fall in it. Her cheeks were burning, and her heart was beating way too fast for someone who rarely felt embarrassed or self-conscious. Why was she so aware of Zack? She wasn't used to being around men, and their touch made her sick for the most part, but that didn't mean she made a habit of getting all worked up around them. But more importantly, why did Zack's gentle touch feel... good? She was supposed to hate it and freak out, but kind of wanted more instead.

“Umm… I think I can take care of that cut myself, Zack, so-”

“You've been swaying like a leaf in the wind for a while now, Sephya, and I'm pretty sure you're feeling weak from blood loss. I'll be fast, so just let me take care of this, alright?” Zack said without taking his eyes away from her damaged leg. “We have to clean all this blood, or I won't even be able to see how deep this cut is…” He murmured, moving away from her again to start filling a small glass bowl with water.

Sephya stared at her leg for a moment, chewing on her already hurt lip to try and move her senses away from the lingering feel of Zack's palm on her thigh. His hands were so big and warm, they should have scared her but made shivers roll down her spine instead. And not because she was cold. Something about him made her want to reach out and feel more, maybe figure out why the air charged with some invisible energy when he came close.

“Zack, seriously, I'm not so hurt that I can't wrap a bandage around this.”

Walking back to the bed looking like he wasn't even paying attention to her complaints anymore, Zack pulled a small white table with wheels closer to Sephya, then set the water bowl down on it, along with a small white towel.

“Stop complaining, you're not getting out of this. I'll pay you back later for all the hassle. How about a date?” Zack said, flashing a charming smile while dipping the white towel in the water, then wringing out the excess liquid.

“No payback needed, thanks. And did you seriously just ask me out on a date?” Sephya asked, watching Zack like a hawk as he knelt in front of her, towel in hand.

His free hand grabbed her ankle, and Sephya flinched, almost kicking him in the face. Zack recoiled a little, looking up at her with both eyebrows raised.

“Whoa there, I think that's the worst rejection I've ever gotten. No need to get rough Sephya, just say no.”

Sephya didn't miss Zack's mocking tone and narrowed her eyes at him, trying and failing to stay calm as he carefully wiped the blood on her leg with the damp, warm towel.

“Funny, Zack, ah-ah, you're a real comedian.” She said, teasing him in an effort to distract herself from the feels skittering up the leg he was touching. “So, do you ask a lot of girls you just met on dates?”

Zack looked up from his task of cleaning her leg, which was slowly but surely inching closer to higher, more embarrassing places. His blue eyes were mesmerizing, so bright, and his lips were full and sculpted to perfection. Sephya almost slapped herself. What the hell was she thinking?

“Mm… not that many, but it's hard to ignore a pretty girl.” He said with a mischievous grin, moving his free hand a little higher up her leg to raise it.

A shiver trickled up and down Sephya's spine. Not many men had the guts to say stuff like that to her face, and Zack's touch was turning into a real problem when combined with his words. She could feel it so clearly, that every light brush overshadowed the stinging pain of the cuts. Which was saying something, since the searing pain wasn't exactly negligible.

“I'm not a pretty girl, Zack, I'm a tomboy who grew up playing with blades instead of dolls.” Sephya said, watching Zack as he carefully brushed the towel over the actual cut now, clearing it of excess blood. It stung like hell, but Sephya gritted her teeth and endured it in silence. 

When he was done, she finally saw the cut clearly, and it reached deeper than she had been expecting. It sucked to admit, but that damn machine had done some serious damage.

“That does _not_ sound safe, but being a tomboy doesn't mean you can't be pretty. Not when it comes to you, at least.” Zack said, smiling and winking at Sephya before turning away to go drop the bloody towel in the water bowl.

She wanted to punch him for saying stupid stuff that set her cheeks on fire. And looking sexy when he winked. “Hey, Zack?”

Walking back to the bed, Zack grabbed the bottle of disinfectant and poured a bit of the liquid onto a cotton ball. “Mm?”

“If we ever fight a machine like that again, I'm letting it put a few extra holes in you.”

Zack laughed at Sephya's remark as he bent down in front of her, dabbing the cut with the soaked cotton ball. The disinfectant stung, but Sephya refused to complain, balling her hands into fists and ruffling the sheets under them. Zack noticed her quiet struggle but said nothing, focusing completely on the task of wrapping her leg. She appreciated how he didn't try to be too gentle and make a big deal out of nothing.

Done with the bandages, Zack straightened and glanced at Sephya's shoulder. Instinctively, she reached out to touch the hurting place and realized her dress was damp with blood. No wonder she was feeling woozy.

“We have to take care of that shoulder next, but…” Zack leaned down to inspect her shoulder, bringing his face close to hers enough to trespass on her personal space. Like an idiot, she couldn't help noticing how beautifully shaped his full lips were again, and momentarily smelling his fresh, citrusy cologne mixed with a bit of clean sweat. What the hell was wrong with her? “Either you take this dress off, or I'll have to cut it to get to the wound.”

Sephya stared wide-eyed at Zack for a whole minute, saying nothing. First she was being too conscious of him and ogling his lips, and now he wanted her to strip? What a day… had she stepped into an alternate reality at some point? 

When the outrage finally passed, she glanced around and cleared her throat.

“Sian should be back soon, right? I think we should wait, I'm good waiting, just gimme some pain killers.”

Hands on hips, Zack stared at Sephya, his cheeks slightly flushed. “Look, I know this is uncomfortable as hell, but that looks bad, I don't think we should wait.” Sighing, he fidgeted with the silver stud earring in his left ear. “That said, I'll leave this one up to you. I've trespassed into your personal space enough as it is.”

Sephya stared at her socked feet for a moment, pondering Zack's words. Butterflies fluttered in her belly at the thought of him touching her again, but he was just trying to help and it would be better to take care of the wounds now. They still needed to make their reports too, and sitting around waiting for the doctor with her shoulder bleeding sounded like a stupid way to pass the time, not to mention dangerous.

Convincing herself that this was just one of those “get it over with” moments, Sephya sighed and moved her hair out of the way, smoothing the thick locks over her healthy shoulder.

“There's a zipper on the back of the dress, let's just get this over with…”

Zack's cheeks flushed even more at Sephya's resigned whisper, but he just nodded and leaned on the edge of the bed next to her. Seriously wishing she could just disappear and force her heart to quit hammering her ribs, Sephya looked away as Zack reached for the zipper and slowly slid it down to the middle of her back.

“Zack? Is something wrong?” Sephya asked, glancing at him when he stopped moving after pulling down the zipper.

He was staring at her back and seemed to snap out of it when she looked at him.

“No, uh… Sorry, Sephya, I just,” he rubbed the back of his head and glanced at the white ceiling. “Felt like I was trespassing all of a sudden…”

Sephya arched an eyebrow, keeping her arms tightly crossed over her chest as she adjusted her seating position, making sure the dress didn't open more than necessary.

“Trespassing? That's an odd way to put it. Don't you mean uncomfortable?”

Zack looked seriously troubled for a minute, his eyes landing on everything in the room but Sephya. “Kinda, yeah, but not quite… it's hard to explain. But anyway, are you sure this is cool?”

She nodded. “Yeah, that shoulder is hurting like hell, and I can't bandage it properly on my own so, here we are. You're just helping a fellow SOLDIER with first aid, Zack, it's fine.”

Zack's beautiful sky blue eyes focused on Sephya's green ones for a moment, as if searching for some sort of hidden approval. Just as Sephya was about to avert her eyes from his decidedly handsome face, he seemed to find the resolve he was searching for and focused on her shoulder instead.

Carefully, he moved the bloody fabric clinging to the cut, and Sephya gritted her teeth, struggling through another round of pain while Zack disinfected the wound. Once everything was clean, he quickly made a bandage with a square of gauze, securing it with medical tape and making sure everything was in place before moving away. Every time his fingers brushed her skin, Sephya squeezed her eyes shut, filling her head with random stuff to tamp down the pounding of her heart and all the heat rushing to the wrong places. When it was finally done, Sephya's head was buzzing and she felt dizzy.

“There, all done. How are you feeling, Sephya?”

She looked up at Zack, now standing in front of her, and seriously wished a black hole could open up under her feet in the following seconds. “I'm alright, just kinda tired, but… could you pull that zipper up for me? Sorry…”

Zack's brows shot up when he realized she couldn't reach back with the bandage and he shook his head as if quietly lecturing himself.

“It's alright, Sephya, sorry I didn't notice.”

Sephya smiled, trying to lighten the tense mood. “It's fine, and thanks for all the help.”

Zack returned her smile, then quickly helped her zip up the dress, backing off as soon as it was done. She felt bad about making him uncomfortable, but at the same time, it was a good thing if it made him eager for distance. She appreciated the breathing room, and his slight embarrassment made her happy. She didn't want to think of him as a player asking all the pretty girls out on dates, used to charming them with that bright smile of his and getting them naked, and appreciated the effort he had gone to, to avoid touching her more than necessary. They were coworkers, after all, it was important to keep things as professional as possible. Gaia knew, Zack had already seen too much for someone she had just met.

“Well, now that this is taken care of, what do you say we go write up those reports and get something to eat?” Sephya asked, finally getting up and checking how much weight her hurt leg could currently handle after carefully pulling on her boots. “If you have time, that is.”

“Sounds good, and I do need to take care of that report. Shouldn't you change out of that dress first though?”

Sephya shrugged, grabbing the bottle of disinfectant still on the bed, along with a few cotton balls. “I'd like to, but I have nothing to change into. My apartment is close by, but I think I'll just tough it out.” Striding to the oval mirror hung on the wall opposite the bed, Sephya examined her reflection, then cleaned the cuts on her cheek and lip. “It's almost time for us to leave anyway, and I want to get that report done before then.”

While examining her reflection in the mirror, Sephya spotted Zack behind her, looking her up and down, and probably totally aware that she was onto him. Just as she was about to turn around and ask if there was something stuck to her back, Zack spoke up.

“You know, I think we could ask for a spare office uniform at the front desk of the office floor below ours. SOLDIER uniforms are custom made and they won't have any, but they might have some spare office uniforms. Even if it's not your exact size, it would be better than walking around with bloody clothes.”

Done with her last first aid task and relieved to know Zack hadn't been checking her out, Sephya tossed the used cotton balls and pondered Zack's idea while putting away the disinfectant. He had a point, walking around with bloody and ripped clothes would be pretty uncomfortable. She hadn't really noticed what the office clothes at Shinra looked like, hadn't been paying attention, but they couldn't be worse than her dress at the moment.

“Well, you have a point and I guess I could check at least, nothing to lose.” Sephya glanced around to make sure everything was in place, then limped to the door. Once they were both outside the infirmary, she stopped and looked up at Zack. “You can go ahead and get started on your report, Zack, I'll take care of the clothes issue and come find you after.”

“Alright, that sounds good. I'll be at the rest area then, you know where it is?” Zack asked with the trademark carefree smile that Sephya was already getting used to.

She gave him a thumbs-up, confident in her memory of the floor plan. “Yep, I know it. See you in a bit then.”

Zack nodded his agreement and Sephya hurried away, walking as fast as her aching leg would allow.

When she reached the elevator and the doors slid open, Sephya came face to face with a bulky man in a black SOLDIER uniform. His hair was black like Zack's, but longer and pushed back from his handsome face, and his eyes were almost the same sky blue as Zack's, but harsher, colder. She wasn't quite sure, but it felt like she'd seen him somewhere before.


	3. No Rest For The Wicked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sephya meets an unpleasant coworker and exhaustion finally catches up to her...

The man that made her feel seriously small stepped out of the elevator, examining Sephya with worry in his bright mako eyes.

“Hey, are you alright?” He asked in a deep, rumbling voice, glancing at Sephya's shoulder.

“Mm?” Sephya looked at her shoulder in a hurry, remembering the state of her clothes and deciding it really was a good idea to get a spare uniform. No need to go around making everyone think she was bleeding out. “Oh, yeah, I'm fine. I got hurt a while ago, but it's already taken care of, no worries.”

She offered the man a smile, eager to show she was fine and there was no need to fuss. He chuckled and smiled warmly.

“Eh, I see. By the way, are you new? I don't think I've seen you around before.”

Sephya bobbed her head. “Yes, my name is Sephya Innes, newly appointed SOLDIER 3rd class. Today's my first day.”

The man's eyes lit up with some kind of realization and he seemed to ponder something for a moment, crossing muscular arms over his broad chest.

“Mm… so you're the girl with the custom scythe who left all the other new recruits in the dust.” The man smiled again and extended a hand. He seemed nice on all accounts, but there was a hint of doubt in his eyes as he looked at Sephya, a hint she didn't miss. “I'm Angeal Hewley, SOLDIER 1st class, it's nice to meet you, Sephya.”

Finally realizing who the man was with the help of his name, Sephya tensed. He was one of the three SOLDIER 1st class, one of the golden boys with fan clubs, according to Zack. How had she not noticed? Shinra kept shoving them on pedestals and using them for propaganda that earned them a steady stream of new recruits. All eager to rise up and become heroes of the people. If only they knew... 

“It's nice to meet you too, sir.” Sephya replied, taking the hand Angeal was offering and giving it a firm shake.

Angeal chuckled as Sephya stepped back, standing rod straight. “No sir needed, call me Angeal, please.”

Angeal still wore a friendly smile, but there was something in the way he looked at Sephya that made her uncomfortable. His eyes bore into her, as if he knew something but was searching for confirmation. It made her want to run away before he found what he wanted. And running from possible danger was something she rarely did. Maybe he was just being cautious, or maybe he knew something about why she was here in the first place. She needed to keep her wits about her.

“Oh, alright. Thank you for worrying about me, Angeal, and I guess I'll be seeing you around.” Dipping her chin and making direct eye contact for a second, Sephya all but punched the button to open the elevator doors, then walked inside. “I'm in a bit of a hurry right now, so, if you'll excuse, I have to go.”

Angeal nodded, but his expression became serious as the elevator doors slid shut. “Of course, see you later, Sephya.”

The doors shut completely just as Angeal turned away and Sephya leaned against the back wall, holding onto the metal railing to steady herself. Angeal looked like a nice enough guy, especially compared to Sephiroth and Genesis, but he knew something. Something troublesome by the looks of it. No surprise though, since he was one of the top dogs at SOLDIER.

Sephya had made an effort to hide her magic abilities during the practical exams, but Lazard and a few people from the science and research department had found out, thanks to a particularly harsh solo battle. Sephya had a tendency to get reckless when cornered, and she hated losing, so she had easily thrown caution to the wind when things had begun to go south. And now she had given Zack and that other science dude a show too, way to go in undercover. Still, what was done was done, and she would have to take care of things as best she could, unexpected hiccups or no.

The ding of the elevator as the doors opened to the office and conference floor snapped Sephya to attention. She stepped out onto a wide lobby area with polished dark marble floors, offices visible through windows that took up entire walls on either side of the open space, dark wood double doors leading to meeting rooms, and the red Shinra logo displayed on large red banners. The lady at the reception desk stared at her from all the way across the room. The blood and ripped dress were great attention grabbers. 

“Well, let's get this over with…” Sephya whispered to herself while walking up to the curved reception desk.

The lady wearing a prim white blouse, with her brown hair pulled back into a bun, visibly tensed when Sephya stopped in front of her. Sephya frowned, wondering if she really looked that intimidating. She was tired and sort of pissed at herself, and stuff usually showed on her currently cut face, but it couldn't be that bad. Or so she thought.

“Umm… you're from SOLDIER right? Can I help you with something?”

The woman's shaky voice made Sephya frown even more, which, of course, didn't help. “Yeah, I was wondering if you have a spare office uniform I can borrow. My SOLDIER uniform is still in the making, and I just ruined my clothes during an assignment, so, here we are.”

Immediately after hearing about the uniform, the lady looked Sephya over so thoroughly she probably knew all her measurements by the time she stopped.

“I see. I think we might have something your size, I'll go check.”

“Alright, thanks. And by the way, what's your name?” Sephya asked, honestly appreciating not having to hear another person say she was small for a SOLDIER, or put up with doubtful stares.

“I'm Kiara.” The lady said with a smile as she got up from her high chair and adjusted her skirt. “May I ask for your name miss?”

Sephya shrugged, parking her hands on her hips. “'Course, I'm Sephya Innes, SOLDIER 3rd class. It's nice to meet you, Kiara.” Kiara chuckled, and Sephya's brows pulled together. “Did I say something funny?”

The girl tensed so fast and looked so scared, Sephya immediately felt bad for asking. She hadn't meant to sound or appear intimidating, but her normal stance was usually a lot less than friendly so she couldn't help it. She needed to appear intimidating, needed to look like someone not to be messed with, so she could protect what she had left of importance in her life, so she could stand up for herself. Letting her guard down was not an option, even if it made everyone hate her.

“N-no, not at all. I was just thinking, everyone from SOLDIER always looks so confident, you'd think it was a requirement.”

Sephya became serious for real, looking Kiara in the eyes. “It is. You'll fail to even get in if you have doubts, and if you somehow get in with your doubts, you'll die, or get someone else killed.” The mood became tense and Kiara fidgeted with her bun, so Sephya made an effort to offer the girl a small smile. What she had just said wasn't exactly a rule of SOLDIER, but a rule she lived by. Know what you want and never give up, if you falter, you might live to regret it. She'd learned that the hard way. “But hey, that's just the way I see things, so don't read too much into it.”

Kiara stop adjusting her already perfect bun, but did her best to avoid Sephya's eyes. “I see… and I think I understand why you would see things that way. The mind needs to be as strong as the body, right?”

Sephya nodded and leaned her elbow on the counter, to give her hurt leg some rest. “Yeah, that's the gist of it.”

Kiara smiled and finally met Sephya's eyes. “Well, I should go see about that uniform already. I'll be right back, Sephya.”

Sephya nodded. “I'll be here.”

Kiara chuckled as she stepped out from behind the counter surrounding her workplace. Watching her go, Sephya noted the woman's black pencil skirt and frowned. Maybe the uniform Kiara had gone in search of was different, and Sephya seriously hoped it was. She hated pencil skirts. They restricted the movements of the legs too much, and the only time she had put one on, she had ended up ripping it beyond repair after getting into a fight. And she'd almost lost that fight thanks to the damn skirt.

After a while of making Sephya wait and almost fall asleep leaning on the counter, Kiara came back with some folded clothes in her hands. She walked up to Sephya and held out the small bundle.

“Here it is, sorry it took so long. We have quite a few spares at the moment, so it took me a while to find the right size.”

Sephya took the clothes from Kiara's hands, taking note of the neatly folded black skirt of doom that she would not be avoiding today. “It's fine, thanks for the help, Kiara. I'm in a hurry right now, but we should talk more sometime, it was nice meeting you.”

Kiara smiled, looking a lot more relaxed now. “Definitely, it was nice meeting you too, Sephya.”

Kiara went to sit behind the counter again and Sephya chuckled, appreciating Kiara's effort to accept her quirkiness. She had probably grown used to unusual characters, working for Shinra and seeing members of SOLDIER on the regular.

“I'll see you around then, and thanks again for the help.” She said as she turned to leave, waving once.

Kiara waved as well. “Bye, Sephya, and try to be more careful during your assignments. Girls should avoid scars.”

Sephya glanced at Kiara over her shoulder, stopping for a moment. “I'll try, but don't worry, I have a guardian angel, and she takes all the scars away.”

Kiara pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. “I don't really get it, but that sounds nice.”

Sephya laughed and resumed her slow walk to the elevator. “It is.” As she entered the elevator, Sephya glanced at her bare legs, at all the smooth, pale skin. It made her want to scream. “If it wasn't for her, I'd be covered in scars…” She whispered as the elevator lurched and began to ascend.

Stepping out back into floor 49, Sephya headed to the changing rooms, found her locker and changed out of her clothes in a hurry. The fact that the changing rooms were unisex doubled as a great incentive to hurrying the hell up before someone showed up at the wrong time. Blinding coworkers on her first day would probably be frowned upon after all.

After placing her ripped clothes in a bag so she could take them home later, Sephya was about to leave the changing room when she walked into someone's chest right after opening the door. Surprised by the bump that made the cut on her cheek sting, she took a few steps back, then saw who she had bumped into.

A considerably taller than her woman with glossy, shoulder-length black hair and angry mako eyes was standing just inside the door Sephya had opened. She was wearing a purple SOLDIER uniform that didn't do much to hide her sexy, curvy figure, despite being a bit baggy on the legs, but her appearance didn't matter. The fact that Sephya hadn't sensed her presence at all did.

She never walked into people because even if she couldn't see them, she could feel them coming from miles away and even assess their threat levels to a degree. But the unknown woman was a ghost, even standing in front of Sephya, there was nothing. She didn't look dead, but she had about as much presence as a corpse.

“Hey, uh, sorry I bumped into you. Are you okay?” Sephya asked, showing the woman an apologetic expression, despite being more than on guard.

The woman shrugged and waved a hand dismissively, puffing her chest. “I'm fine, of course. And who might you be, little girl?”

Sephya lost all her ability to play nice in a second and narrowed her eyes at the woman calling her a little girl, despite not looking much older than Sephya herself.

“SOLDIER 3rd class, Sephya Innes, and too old to be addressed as 'little girl'. You?”

The woman's hostile expression became even more obvious all of the sudden, and for the first time, something emanated from her toned body. Aggression.

“Sephya... I know you. You're that prodigy rookie who had an assignment with Zack on her first day, right? Good job getting hurt, _prodigy_.”

The woman's condescending tone and complete disregard of Sephya's question were quickly making her someone to blacklist. Too bad she couldn't get violent at the moment. But this was more like it, just the type of hotheaded hostility Sephya had expected to find at Shinra. A far cry from Zack's confusing charm. 

“Thanks, it's been great really. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to do.”

Done dealing with the unknown weirdo, who was probably her superior by the color of the uniform, Sephya tried to walk around her and out the door, but the woman barred her exit by standing in the way with one arm spread out from her body, palm pressed to the doorjamb.

“I'm not done talking rookie, so you're not going anywhere.”

Sephya's hand found her sword as she held the woman's stare. “Care to test that theory?”

A smile curved the woman's full red lips, one that showed she would be more than happy to get into a fight, regardless of where they were or how much trouble they would get into.

“I'd say bring it on, but fighting someone weaker who's already injured would be no fun, so I think I'll pass.”

The condescending tone of the woman's languid voice peaked Sephya's anger and she gritted her teeth, determined to not get herself into trouble for something so stupid. But her hand still gripped the hilt of her sword tighter.

“Well isn’t that nice of you… So are we done here?”

“Stay away from Zack.”

Sephya frowned. “Excuse me?”

The woman's eyes glowed with hostility as she looked Sephya over. “I saw you in the infirmary. Why was _he _the one tending to you instead of Sian?”

Sephya whistled, acting overly impressed. She hadn't sensed anyone near the infirmary either... “Well, about that… It's none of your business.”

“Why you little-”

Before the woman had a chance to finish her sentence, Sephya willed a small ice blade to form in the palm of a hand she hid behind her back. Too fed up with the conversation to waste any more time, she lunged forward, ducking under the woman's arm while shooting the blade at her foot as a distraction. The small blade shattered as it made contact with the SOLDIER's boot, leaving no evidence behind but still causing enough pain to make the woman flinch. But Sephya's escape was still cut short.

Just as she was beginning to think she was home free, the woman recovered and grabbed her arm. Sephya's movements were restricted by the short, tight skirt and the cut on her leg, so she was easily jerked back. Pain flared in her shoulder as it got twisted around, and warmth immediately spread under the recent bandage, spilling from the now open cut. 

“Where do you think you're going smartass? We're not done here, and what the hell did you do to my foot?!”

Sephya wriggled around, trying to free her arm, but the woman's cold fingers just dug deeper into her skin. “Let go of me, right now.” She threatened as she gave up the struggle, finally giving in to the anger that soaked her words.

“Or what?”

“Or I'll make you.”

The woman laughed, looking less than convinced, and just as Sephya got ready to cast a few hundred fireballs, a familiar voice startled them both.

“What's going on here?”

Both Sephya and the unknown woman focused on Zack as he spoke. He glanced at Sephya, then aimed an angry stare at the other woman.

“Oh, Zack, we were uh…” The woman stuttered as she let go of Sephya's arm and did her best to appear innocent, holding up her hands and smiling at Zack.

“Keeping coworkers captive and forcing them to listen to nonsense,” Sephya said as she stepped away from the woman and rubbed her arm, trying not to wince as pain flared from her once again leaking shoulder.

“What? Sephya, come here.” Zack held a hand out to her, and despite not enjoying the damsel in distress vibe going around, Sephya went to him, if only to spite the nameless crazy. “Your shoulder's bleeding again…” He said as he examined the growing red stain on Sephya's white blouse.

She wanted to curse and punch something, having just ruined a uniform that wasn't hers and got blood on her clothes for the second time in one day. Her first day at SOLDIER was turning out great…

“Ah, yeah… second set of clothes I ruined in a day, go me.”

Sephya chuckled, not wanting to let it show that she was in pain, then the woman cleared her throat.

“Hey, I only grabbed her arm, that blood has nothing to do with me.”

Sephya sighed, too tired to argue anymore, and Zack's blue eyes focused on the woman again.

“Actually, this_ is_ your fault, Alena. She was hurt less than an hour ago, and why the hell were you grabbing her arm?”

“I didn't know her shoulder was cut, and why do you care anyway? You barely know her!”

“Wow…” Sephya breathed as she turned away from Alena, pressing a hand to her forehead. “Zack, I need to sit down for a bit, so I'll see you at the rest area, alright?”

Zack nodded, not needing Sephya to explain why she was tired and in a bad mood. Or why she needed a few minutes to herself. She appreciated the understanding.

Not wanting to waste time, Sephya walked away, and Zack and Alena's voices turned to quiet whispers as she distanced herself, until there was nothing but silence.

When she arrived at the rest area, there was no one around and she thanked the heavens for the small blessing.

The rest area was a small space, with a big gunmetal gray metallic table set in the middle and benches of the same color lined around it, all bolted to the sleek steel floor. There were panoramic windows looking out to the mazelike city and a few potted plants lined around, but the space was sparsely decorated at best. Not that Sephya cared, she just wanted some peace and quiet.

The sky that had been gray throughout the day was beginning to darken even more outside, and she sensed the rumbling of thunder in the distance. Soon it would begin to rain, and then the loud crackling of thunder would echo around the city. But by then she would be home, and for now, she just needed to rest her eyes.


	4. True Self

Sephya woke up on something soft, which was odd, considering that, last she'd checked, she had been sitting on a hard metal bench.

As she opened her eyes and blinked a few times, the bright white glare of her surroundings made her wince. The air smelled of sterilizer, and after giving the whole eye opening thing a second chance, she realized she was on one of the beds in the infirmary.

Frowning, Sephya scooted on the soft mattress and sat up. For some reason, she was cold to the point of shivering and her head felt almost too heavy to hold up. She looked around and saw white curtains, isolating the one person bed from the rest of the room. But she could sense people beyond the thick curtains, and the aura of one of them felt familiar.

“Zack?” She called, hoping to get some information about her situation from him.

In seconds Zack pushed one of the curtains open, eyes wide with worry and a flip phone open in his hand. He stopped dead after seeing her.

“Ah… sorry I, umm… I'll turn around.”

Sephya frowned as Zack turned in a rush, then glanced down at herself.

“Ah! Why?”

The white blouse she had been wearing was gone and the only thing covering the top half of her body was one of the many black sports bras she owned, and bandages expertly wrapped around her shoulder and arm. The sheet had rolled off her body as she'd sat up, and she had been too concerned with puzzling out her current situation to notice her lack of clothing. At least she was still wearing the black skirt of doom, hurray for small blessings.

It wasn't like the sports bra was a particularly exciting piece of underwear, but she hadn't planned on flashing it to Zack anytime soon. Or, to be more precise, ever.

“Good job, Zack, that's what you get for rushing in without thinking. No wonder Angeal calls you a puppy.”

What had to be one of the most beautiful women Sephya had ever seen walked into her line of sight as she pulled the white sheet up to her chin. She had jet black hair with blue undertones that flowed to the middle of her back, piercing electric blue eyes that were nothing short of incredible, high cheekbones and naturally red lips. She was wearing a lab coat over cigar pants and a blouse, so her figure was hard to make out, but she seemed tall and lean.

“I'm so sorry, Sephya. I was worried and I forgot Sian had tossed your blouse.” Zack said, keeping his eyes on the wall across the room.

Sephya smiled and glanced at his broad back, then focused her eyes on the white sheets again, feeling her cheeks warm. He hadn't seen anything special, her chest wasn't anything to write home about, and she had an inkling he wasn't the type to peep on purpose. 

“It's alright, Zack, don't worry. More importantly, what happened? The last thing I remember is sitting on one of the benches in the rest area…”

The knockout, who's name was Sian, brought a hand up to her chin and wrapped an arm around her midriff, pondering Sephya's words.

“If that's all you remember, then it's likely you passed out right after sitting. It was mostly exhaustion, but the blood loss didn't help…”

The woman's words were soft and almost too low to hear despite her deep voice. She was talking to herself, not answering Sephya's question.

“Umm…”

Zack chuckled. “Sorry, Sephya, she gets distracted.” He glanced over his shoulder, then caught himself with a start and looked away. “Ah… anyway, I found you passed out in the rest area when I got there. Your blouse was soaked with blood and according to Sian, you had a fever. She took care of your wounds again after I brought you here and made you swallow some pills for the pain and the fever.”

Sephya almost cursed out loud but stopped herself. The backlash for the black magic she'd used had come sooner thanks to the physical damage to her body and she had failed to notice thanks to everything else going on. And it wasn't over yet.

“How long was I out?” She whispered, already starting to feel her blood boil in her veins. She needed to get home, fast.

“'bout two hours. I was about to carry you to the hospital when you woke up, and Sian shot me the 'I told you so' look.”

Instead of acknowledging Zack's lighthearted taunt, Sian focused her piercing blue eyes on Sephya. “You're not okay yet, right?” The doctor's stare told Sephya she already knew the answer to that question and she looked away, wanting to avoid that topic of conversation. “You may be a new recruit, but you're still a member of SOLDIER. Between the training and the mako infusions, you're an especially resilient type of human. I've had people show up here with multiple bullet wounds and arms and legs barely attached, most of whom were shrugging it off and asking for some bandages. After seeing those things, it's hard to believe those cuts were enough to put you in that state.”

Sian paused and narrowed her eyes at Sephya, who was now shivering thanks to a rapidly rising fever. Sweat broke out all over her body and she could feel her wet bangs clinging to her forehead and cheeks. Even her sight started to get blurry. She needed to get home ASAP or things were going to get dangerous.

“I guess I'm just not fit to be in SOLDIER…” She said, trying to sound strong but failing miserably when her voice broke.

Sian huffed a laugh. “Please, you think I don't know who you are? You left everyone else in the dust during the exams and I was one of the people watching when you used magic without materia. None of the recruits pitted against you could even touch you, and what happened today was a fluke. You were forced to use a weapon you aren't accustomed to and asked to work with a partner you know next to nothing about, which explains why you would try to protect a 2nd class like Zack, who can more than look out for himself. After everyone in the exams was beneath you, you assumed your mission partner would be the same. Am I guessing right so far?”

Sephya finally met the doctor's eyes, but her vision got so unfocused she could barely make out the features of the other woman's supermodel face. “What… what's it to you? I need… to leave. Now.” She glanced at Zack, busy shifting his weight from one foot to the other and crossing and uncrossing his arms. She almost laughed, but that required energy she didn't have. “Just get him out of here and… give me a shirt…”

Something as simple as talking left her out of breath, so Sephya wasn't sure she could even get home by herself anymore, but she wasn't about to lead anyone from Shinra to where she needed to go.

“She can't get me out of here until you're okay, so don't bother asking. It's my fault you're like that, let me help.”

Sephya leaned forward, then everything around her started to spin and she fell back against the bed's metal headboard. “Leaving… would help, and,” She had to stop to catch her breath. "It's not your fault.”

Sian cursed to herself and spun around on her heel. In record time, she grabbed a towel from a neat pile in a cabinet, then started filling a container with water.

Thinking she might as well get out of bed while no one was watching, Sephya leaned forward again, then swung her legs off the side of the bed. The room spun all around her again but she squeezed her eyes shut and steadied herself with sheer force of will. She had to get home, and she had to do so alone, even if she had to crawl all the way there.

As soon as she stood, her legs gave out and she crumbled like a tower of cards in a storm.

“What the-!?” Zack jumped when he heard her go down. “Dammit, Sephya, why do you have to be so stubborn?! I'll help you get home when you're feeling better, so calm down. No one's trying to hurt you here.”

As Zack helped her to her feet, Sephya couldn't even care that she was half-naked and in a man's arms anymore. Her consciousness blinked on and off, and she didn't have the strength to stop him from putting her back on the bed.

She noticed his cheeks were completely red while he gently placed her down on the mattress and covered her body with the sheet, and his blue eyes kept darting away. _He__'s__ kind of cute, __I hope she doesn't tell him anything_, she thought before everything went dark.

*************************************************************************************

Zack was so tired when he got home, he just threw himself on the couch, not even bothering to take his boots off. He kept his feet off the gray cushions as he adjusted his position, using his arms as a support for his head. Man, what a day. That new recruit was a real piece of work.

He had wanted to stay until she woke up again, but Sian had kicked him out after threatening him with needles likely used for torture. So now, instead of freaking out at work, he was freaking out at home, alone. Hurray for changes of scenery, they weren't doing much to improve his mood. There were so many questions bouncing around in his head, it felt like the thing was set to explode at any minute, pounding away like it had its own heartbeat.

Why could Sephya use magic without materia? What had Sian been trying to get her to say? What was wrong with her body? And why was Alena acting crazy all of a sudden? He'd seen some weird stuff working for Shinra over the years, but Sephya was definitely in the top ten. 

Feeling a headache coming on, Zack groaned and squeezed his eyes shut. He wished he could just fall asleep, he was certainly tired enough, but worrying about his new coworker would make that difficult. He barely knew her, but he liked her already.

She was comfortable to be around for some reason, witty and full of energy like him, and incredibly powerful for someone so lovely and petite. And it would be great to have her as a partner again, especially after they got to know each other better, he couldn't wait to see what else she could do.

It was hard to coordinate when partnering with someone new, but he had a feeling they could make a good team with a little training. But he would need to know what the deal was with her before they could really work together.

**************************************************************************************

Sephya blinked her eyes open slowly, feeling the sting of the lights yet again and remembering she wasn't home.

Her whole body hurt and her hair clung to her sweaty skin, but she could tell that the worst of it had passed. The fever had gone down and her sight was normal again. Now she was just exhausted.

“Welcome back.”

Sephya almost jumped off the bed when she heard Sian's voice. She had completely failed to notice the woman sitting on a chair right beside the bed. Her legs were crossed and Sephya noticed she'd taken off her low heels, and there were dark circles under her tired eyes. How long had she been out for?

“Sorry, didn't mean to startle you.” She yawned with a hand in front of her mouth, then uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees and meeting Sephya's eyes. “Keeping you alive was a real chore you know? And I want some answers if I'm going to be dealing with this again.”

Sephya sat up with way too much effort, then narrowed her eyes at the doctor. “Your fault for not letting me go. And you won't be dealing with it again.”

Sian laughed and sat back on the chair. “Please. Even if you lived right outside this building's front door, there was no way you were getting there by yourself. And what would you do once you got home? Wait for your brain to fry?” The beautiful doctor narrowed her blue eyes and crossed her arms. “Unless… someone else was supposed to help you, but how when even I…”

Sian seemed to be getting sucked into her own world, but Sephya was quite done with being analyzed. She snapped her fingers to get the doctor's attention, and the bones in her hand felt like they were breaking.

“Hey!” The woman snapped to attention and arched a brow. “Stop doing that, I've had enough of you guessing my life. Why are you so interested anyway?”

Sian smiled as if she held the answers to all the questions in the universe. “Because a Cetra came to Shinra voluntarily. And quite an interesting one at that…”

Sephya's eyes flew open with shock as Sian's words hit her like a ton of bricks to the face. The other woman smirked as she witnessed the reaction that confirmed her statement.

“How…?” Sephya whispered, pulling the sheets into her closing hands.

“No human can use magic as you do, but a pure Cetra can. Although, there's one thing I don't understand. How come you use black magic without materia? It's usually the other way around.” Sephya bit her lip and glanced away, no longer able to hold the doctor's piercing gaze. “You know you're in danger here, right?” Sian continued, undeterred by Sephya's silence. “Why did you join SOLDIER? You knew what you were getting yourself into, didn't you?”

Sephya groaned and rubbed her temples. She could feel her heartbeat in her head and the downpour of questions stabbed her brain over and over. Still, Sian showed no signs of giving up, despite looking as tired as Sephya felt.

“Are there others like you? Do you know Aerith Gainsborough?”

Sephya's patience snapped. “Shut up!” She felt dizzy as her temper flared, but still she glared at the woman who didn't know when to quit. Her voice turned to a menacing whisper. “And yes, I know her. But remember this, if any of you touch her again, I'll turn this stain on the map you people call a city, into the pile of dust it should be.” Sephya shot to her feet, and Sian backed away from her, despite her weakened state. “Is there a shirt I can borrow around here?” She asked while looking around.

She noticed Zack wasn't around anymore, and a wave of relief washed over her, he didn't need to know who she really was.

“I'm not trying to capture your friend.” Sian said as she grabbed a navy blue hoodie that was draped over the back of an office chair. “Here. It might be a bit big, but it's all I've got.”

Sephya frowned and took the shirt, then pulled it on. The oversized thing was practically a dress but she didn't have the energy to care. She sat down on the edge of the bed and started lacing up her boots. The smell of fresh roses wafted up from the hoodie and into her nose. It was kind of calming.

“Can you at least answer one of my questions?”

Sephya glanced up and saw Sian standing in front of her, arms crossed. “What?”

“Are you really a pure Cetra?”

Done with her shoes, Sephya stood and gathered her hair into a low ponytail. “Yeah, what of it?”

Sian shrugged. “We thought Ifalna was the last. And I didn't even get to meet her...”

“She wasn't, but she also wasn't like me. So you and your buddies still killed the last of her kind.” Sephya said as she stalked to the door.

“So you knew her?”

Sephya opened the door, giving Sian an over the shoulder wave. “One question.” And she walked out, pulling the door closed as she did.


	5. Guardian Angel

When Sephya got home it was almost 2 am, but Aerith still rushed out to meet her, bursting out of the quaint wood cottage before Sephya even got close to the double doors. The familiar sweet scent of flowers and soft murmuring of the water coursing in the nearby stream made Sephya smile.

“Sephy!” Aerith called as she ran up to Sephya, then came to an abrupt stop with her hands on her hips. “You're hurt.” She stated bluntly while giving Sephya the once over.

It was hard to deny she was hurt when she felt like death, so Sephya didn't try. But she still shrugged and continued limping her way to the wood cottage's open front door.

“Yeah, can you tell how much my day sucked?” She joked with a half-smile that failed to dispel the worry on Aerith's face.

“Why did it take you so long to get home? I know your schedules are unpredictable but… that place isn't safe for us, I thought they had…”

“There are only three people in that place who can capture me, and two of them would have to team up to do it. You worry too much.” Sephya said as Aerith sidled up to her and helped take some weight off Sephya's hurt leg. Sephya put on her best confident act and exaggerated in her assessment of her abilities to avoid worrying Aerith more than necessary. It was a routine she had grown used to over the years. “I saw two of those dangerous people today, I think they're onto me. That and the world's most annoying doctor…”

Aerith sighed. “You're too reckless for my health… and who's the world's most annoying doctor?”

After they wobbled into the cozy cottage, Sephya made a beeline to one of the chairs around the kitchen table and sat down while Aerith closed and locked the door. A rich, spicy curry smell lingered in the air and Sephya's stomach rumbled, but she couldn't eat for a few hours still. It would be a waste to throw it all up.

“Some seriously pretty lady in charge of the infirmary on the SOLDIER floor. Her name's Sian.”

Done with the door, Aerith grabbed a glass from a cupboard and filled it with water. “Here, you're probably dehydrated after the fever and sweating. And I don't recognize that name, so she might be around the same age as us.”

Sephya took the glass and glanced at Aerith as she took a sip. Despite being only half Cetra, Aerith had a really strong sense, and she could hear the planet a lot better than Sephya herself. It was good that Aerith was taking after her mother. Sooner rather than later, she was going to be the last Cetra on the planet.

“Sometimes I wonder if you can read minds…”

Aerith chuckled at the remark as Sephya gulped down the rest to the water, realizing her throat felt like sandpaper after the first sip.

“I can't, but it's easy to guess when you look so beaten up. The Shinra building is still standing, so this,” she circled what was pretty much Sephya's entire body. “Probably wasn't done by a human.”

Sephya smirked as she got up. “Well, you have a point.” She limped to the sink and started washing her glass. “A stupid hunk of metal cut me with some kind of laser, and I used magic to help the guy they told me to partner with. And he probably didn't even need it…”

“They asked you to partner with someone?” Aerith asked as Sephya put the glass away and turned to face her friend, leaning on the edge of the marble counter the sink was etched into.

“Yeah, some 2nd class called Zack. Nice guy, but we just met so…”

Aerith shrugged and sauntered to the stairs, motioning for Sephya to follow by hooking a finger in the air. “Well, since this is Shinra I think I'll indulge your tendency to push people away. It's better to be safe for now.”

“Thanks for the approval mom, but I would have done it anyway.”

Aerith chuckled. “I don't think I want a daughter like you, I'd die from worrying too much.”

“My mother thought that too, minus the worrying part. Go figure…” The words flew out of Sephya's mouth before she could stop them and the mood dropped in a second. She never talked about her past, preferring to put things behind her and move on. That rule helped her stay sane. But Aerith's words, coupled with her exhaustion, had flipped some kind of switch. “Maybe if she'd kept me around, if those weaklings hadn't been afraid of me… maybe they'd still be alive, or I would be with them, somewhere…”

Aerith turned around and put a hand on Sephya's undamaged shoulder. “Sephy… what happened to them wasn't your fault, and they had no right to abandon you.”

Sephya nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on the worn, dark wood steps under her feet. “Sure… sorry I brought it up, it's not like it matters anymore.”

Aerith squeezed Sephya's shoulder, making her look up. “It does matter, it's your life and you're important to me. They may be gone, but you're still here and you can talk to me if you need to. I can't do much, but I can listen at least.”

“Thanks, I think I'll take you up on that one of these days.”

They smiled at each other, then climbed the rest of the stairs in silence.

The healing routine was one they had done so many times, it just flowed naturally by now. Sephya took a much needed shower, then lied down on the single bed in Aerith's bedroom, hair still wet and body stripped of clothes save for underwear. Aerith hovered over her, concentrating, the jade and white glow of her white magic and the pale moonlight shining through the window giving the room an otherworldly quality.

Done calling upon her powerful healing magic, Aerith's hands hovered over the cuts and bruises standing out against Sephya's porcelain skin, and everything disappeared as if it was never there to begin with. This was the truth of her unmarred body, of her coming back from certain death too many times to count, and the guardian angel that kept her in one piece. She was like a leech, feeding on Aerith's abundant mana after wasting her own.

Thanks to her unique abilities and proficiency with black magic, Sephya had been shunned and feared. What she knew she had mostly learned by herself, no one could - or even wanted to - help her control her mana. She hadn't received the same attention and training as everyone else in her small settlement, and they were all gone now anyway.

When it was all over, Aerith was exhausted and Sephya was fit as a fiddle, but wishing she could fall from the top of the Shinra building. She hated coming home hurt and making Aerith heal her, hated seeing how tired she got after helping her. If only she could use healing magic herself, but she was so inept she could barely heal a scratch. And Gaia knew, she never came home with just a scratch…

“Aerith.” Sephya stood up and extended a hand to her best friend as she gently called her name. “Take my hand, I'll help you up.” When Aerith stayed on her knees beside the bed with her head down, Sephya's heart seized. “Aerith?” She got on her knees as well and lifted her friend's head, cupping her cheeks. Her pretty pink lips were pale and her eyes were closed. Sephya rarely cried, but tears instantly welled in her eyes. “Aerith, hey, wake up, please…” She moved her hands to Aerith's shoulders and shook her slight body gently, and a groan escaped her parted lips. “Ah! Aerith, are you awake? Please say something, you know I'm no good at this…”

Aerith's eyes slowly blinked open and she offered a small smile. “Ah, yes, I'm awake, just tired. Sorry…”

Sephya shook her head, then lifted Aerith in her arms despite them being roughly the same size. Aerith yelped in surprise but didn't struggle.

“You have nothing to be sorry for…” Sephya said as she placed Aerith on the bed and covered her with a fuzzy blanket. “And we need to put a stop to this. I can't stand hurting you like this, and you have no obligation to help me.” Sephya walked to the door and pressed her palm to the round knob, turning away from Aerith to hide the pain on her face. “Shinra gave me an apartment to use while I work there, and I should start staying there. Call me if anyone from Shinra shows up here, I'll make them disappear. And thank you, for everything.”

Aerith voiced her disagreement while Sephya walked out and closed the door, knowing her friend was too weak to chase after her.

Quickly and quietly to avoid waking Elmyra, Sephya gathered the few things she owned from her room at the Gainsborough home into a black backpack and left the house. She had been adopted by Elmyra after being rescued by Aerith soon after she had been adopted herself, long story how that had happened. But after going through hell and losing her faith in people, Sephya had become too guarded. While Aerith had bonded with Elmyra and fit right in, Sephya had walked on eggshells and always felt she needed to earn her place in the world through hard work and sacrifice. She had never completely opened up and Elmyra and Aerith knew it. She had never stopped being alone, maybe because she feared seeing it all go down in flames again...

It was almost 5 am and hardly a good time for a woman to be walking around alone in the slums, but with her scythe in hand, Sephya was a force to be reckoned with. A few monsters blocked her path as she traversed the dark slums, with more broken and blinking street lights than functioning ones, but they were just a minor annoyance and she easily cut them down.

Tears welled in her eyes as she walked and the deafening silence made her ears ring. This separation was inevitable, she told herself, it was necessary, it was the best for both of them. Aerith had been through enough already, she didn't need a broken Cetra dragging her down.

It was raining and thundering by the time Sephya reached her apartment building in sector 8, but she didn't rush her steps and just let herself get soaked by the icy raindrops. When she stepped into her apartment it was cold and lifeless, luxurious but unremarkable, but that was to be expected. The people she loved weren't there, it wasn't a home, it was an impersonal space where she could take shelter from the rain. And it smelled of lemon cleaning products like the Shinra building.

"So this is home uh…” Sephya muttered to herself as she threw the bag with her stuff in it on the black couch, then threw herself along with it. “Lovely…”

She didn't bother to turn on the lights or look around or take any of her things out of the bag. This place was a means to an end, just like her job at SOLDIER, just like her life…

When the sun came up, the bright light shone through the floor to ceiling windows of the apartment and stung Sephya's eyes. She groaned as she rubbed her face and sat up, feeling like her head was made of lead.

“Well, I must look like a million gil right now…” She tried to comb her hair with her fingers but winced and stopped. The stuff was a tangled mess from her sleeping with it wet. “I should take a shower before going to work.” She said as she got up, but right when she opened her bag to get some clothes, there was a knock on the door. “What the…?”

She frowned at the door as she padded to it and peeked through the monocle. On the other side, she saw Zack, dressed in his dark purple soldier uniform, fidgeting with his gloves. Sephya frowned even more, unsure of how the hell he knew where to find her.

“Good morning, Zack. What the hell are you doing here?” She said as she pulled the door open, narrowing her eyes at the man she wasn't sure if she could trust yet.

Zack stopped pulling on the fingers of his gloves and held up his hands, a smile on his pouty lips. “Lovely as always miss Sephya.” He joked, and Sephya reached for the Scythe still strapped to her back. No wonder her body was hurting, talk about healthy sleeping habits. “Whoa, calm down, I just came to check on you.”

Sephya groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose. “How did you know I was here?”

Zack's hands went to his hips. “Sian told me before she kicked me out last night.”

Why did he make that sound like an achievement?

“Really now…” She crossed her arms. “I need to have a long chat with that doctor… But anyway, what do you want? If it's sugar you came to the wrong place…”

Zack laughed. “I just came to see if you were alright after… whatever happened last night.”

Sephya's brows pulled together. “Well, I'm just fine as you can see so, see you later.”

Zack's carefree smile dropped fast and he put a hand on the reinforced door before she could close it on him. His jokes and easy smile made him appear harmless at times, but he was still a SOLDIER with enough strength to break down the reinforced door if Sephya somehow managed to close it on him. The muscles in his arm tensed and bulged when she tested how her physical strength matched up to his, applying a little force to the door and not moving it an inch. “You don't look fine. And I think I should know, what happened to you yesterday?”

Sephya parked her hands on her hips and took a deep breath, trying to keep her annoyance levels contained. She wanted a shower so bad.

“Why do you care?”

“You scared me half to death yesterday and it would be better to know if we ever work together again. By the way, have you had breakfast?”

“I get like that when I use magic, it's a side effect. That's all you need to know. And no, I just woke up actually.”

Zack stepped forward and patted Sephya's head. She immediately reached for her scythe again but he jumped back, ready to defend himself.

“Sorry sorry, your hair was standing up.” He laughed and Sephya glared, feeling self-conscious as a flush crept up her cheeks. “But seriously, thanks for the info. Now, you want to get breakfast with me? There's a really good place around here.”

Sephya stepped aside and motioned for Zack to walk in with a cheeky flourish, then closed the door. “Sure, whatever, but I need a shower so just wait and do… something, I don't care.”

Sephya knew she was grumpy as hell and probably being rude, but nothing could be done about that at the moment. She'd hurt her best friend and walked away, she should have fallen in a damn hole while walking around last night. A hole with spikes at the bottom.

“Oh, right. If you peek while I'm showering or getting dressed I'll cut you to pieces and feed you to the monsters in the slums.” Sephya warned while taking a dress and black shorts from her bag, both identical to the ones she'd had on the previous day.

Zack made a show of being scared as he sat on the couch, then laughed. “Man, you're worse than a wild cat.” Sephya glared at him and he held up his hands, but a mischievous grin appeared on his full lips. He looked sexy and Sephya had to look away, refusing to humor that thought. “You're going to shower with that thing on your back?”

Sephya started marching herself to where she assumed the bathroom would be and answered without looking at Zack. “With you around, yes.”

“Ouch, am I that untrustworthy?”

She sighed. “Don't take it personally, everyone is…”


	6. Harsh Past

“Hey, Sephya?”

As Sephya strolled out of the steaming bathroom, Zack couldn't stop himself from giving her the once over. With more attention to detail than during their troublesome previous day. She had a special kind of beauty, an otherworldly aura and elegance that were unique to her. And there was wisdom in her jade eyes, wisdom beyond her obvious young age. She had a reliable quality to her and had probably been forced to grow up fast at some point. He couldn't help wondering why.

But Zack's eyes were drawn to something specific at the moment. Her cuts and bruises from the previous day were gone without a trace, and she appeared to be perfectly healthy for someone who had been suffering from a high fever and loss of blood just a few hours ago.

She glanced at him when he called her name, still combing her wet coppery blonde hair as she strolled to the couch. “Mm?”

“Why are all your injuries gone?”

She visibly recoiled at the question, so, bad liar alert, and refused to meet his eyes. “I uh… I heal fast…”

Zack shot up from the couch and loomed over Sephya, noticing just how much smaller than him she was as he did so. “Bullshit. What are you trying so hard to hide, Sephya?”

She took a step back, making a fist with her free hand, ready to fight him off if she had to, but Zack just moved with her. The fresh scent of her shampoo hit his nose as he stood close, her forehead almost touching his chest. It smelled like flowers and an ocean breeze, and he breathed it in, wishing he could get even closer to the smell that reminded him of nature. There wasn't enough nature in Midgar and Zack often found himself missing the fresh scents and occasional sounds of animals going about their lives. Midgar and the areas around it were dead or dying fast. But that was the price of progress, at least, that's what he kept telling himself.

When Sephya looked up at him there was a silent plea in her bright jade eyes that made him falter. She was vulnerable, as if the current topic was her weakness, and despite having just met her, he was almost certain she rarely showed vulnerability.

“Stop asking questions, Zack, there are things you're better off not knowing…”

Her tone was serious but soft as she spoke with her eyes on his, and she wrapped her arms around her small body as if shielding herself. _She's so cute, _Zack thought for a second, feeling his body heat rise as an urge to hold her riled him up. She was probably the loveliest SOLDIER he would ever see.

He took a step closer to her without thinking and she narrowed her glowing jade eyes at him, the mako in them instantly active. There was hostility in her stare, she would probably attack him if he tried to get too close. But something about her drew him in, made him want to ignore all the obvious warning signs.

“I'm sorry, Sephya, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable or pry into your life, but what if we work together again? I need to know you at least a little.”

Sephya took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest. “Fine, you want to know me in case we work together again? Here's what you need. I can cast every black magic you can imagine without materia, but the power of the magic is proportional to the backlash, too much wasted mana I think. I'm used to fighting with a scythe, this one,” she pointed to the one strapped to her back with her thumb. “So a sword puts me at a disadvantage. I prioritize speed over power, so my hits won't be as heavy as yours, for example. I can use weak healing magic. I'm used to fending for myself and being alone, so my teamwork is sloppy, but I won't leave you for the wolves. And that's about all I can think of at the moment. Now let's get breakfast, I'm hungry.”

Zack blinked a few times as he processed all the information relating to her fighting ability, then rushed after her, thinking she hadn't answered his original question at all. And probably wasn't going to.

***************************************************************************************

Zack led the way as they strolled to the place where they were getting breakfast and thankfully didn't press for more information while they traversed the streets of the privileged part of Midgar. Everything was so much brighter above the plate, but still kind of dark from all the pollution, and there wasn't a monster in sight. Just cars, neat rows of brick buildings, and cobblestone streets. Sephya was already getting fed up with people prying into her life, she had expected it to happen eventually, but maybe not so soon.

They had a lighthearted chat on the way instead of getting too personal, and Sephya found out Zack spent a lot of time training, like her, that he valued honor and loyalty, thanks to his mentor, that he could be a bit hardheaded at times, and that he was definitely the flirty type. He fed her some cheesy pickup lines from time to time, which she took as jokes, complimented her hair while tucking a lock behind her ear and made her glare at him, and looked at her with the eyes of a man, something she wasn't sure she enjoyed, but it was all too easy to forgive Zack for leaping over boundaries when he aimed that charming bright smile of his right at her. And she wasn't exactly defenseless if he got carried away, anyway.

The walk to the small cafe with a vintage design didn't take long, or maybe it did, but Zack was a bit of a chatterbox and there was never a dull moment around him. The place was one Sephya didn't know of course, since she had lived in the slums for most of her life and rarely frequented the upper sectors. But the cozy corner cafe was also a lot more welcoming than most of the places she did know.

There were a few dark wood tables with matching chairs arranged in front of the place, a display window with 'Screamin' Beans' written on the glass in gold letters, and the interior was decorated in earthy beige and brown tones. It was a warm environment, where the strong, fragrant scent of coffee hung in the air, mixed with the softer, sweet smell of various pastries and a hint of dark chocolate.

Zack chose a seat close to the window and Sephya stuck close to him, feeling like a fish out of water. They sat across from each other and Zack signaled the waiter while Sephya tried to decipher the menu. She felt like a damn idiot, but she'd stolen Chocobo feed from a barn once just to survive. She'd stolen vegetables and eaten them raw, wandered for days without food or proper rest. She was hardly the type to frequent coffee shops and she wasn't the lady Zack thought he was flirting with.

“Sephya? Hey, you alright?”

Zack's question brought Sephya back to reality and she suddenly felt her cheeks warm and her heartbeat pick up. What the hell was she going to say when the waiter showed up?

“Ah, yeah, I'm okay. Just…” She trailed off, unsure of how to explain herself without giving too much away.

Zack smiled, and Sephya noticed how much that warm smile suited him. He was already an attractive man, but his smile was as bright as the sun. It was something worth protecting, something she had lost a long time ago.

“Don't know what to order?” He asked playfully. Sephya glued her eyes to the laminated menu splayed out on the table in front of her, still undecipherable, and nodded slowly. Zack chuckled. “No need to look so troubled, you've never been here before, it's fine if you don't know what to get.” He closed and put his menu down near the edge of the table. “What do you usually like to eat? I can help you choose something.”

Sephya frowned and glanced out the window beside their table, saw some well-dressed people stroll by while she wondered if Zack had brought a lot of girls to this cafe over the years. He certainly knew what to say, and even if she thought he was a nice guy so far, that didn't mean he couldn't be a player just going through the motions. She had no patience for indecisive people.

“I like dark chocolate, and toast, and strong coffee… any suggestions?” Sephya replied curtly, folding her hands on her lap and keeping her eyes on the calm cobblestone street outside the window. She was annoyed, but she didn't know why and that was making her antsy.

“Well, I've tried this pie before and it was great,” Zack answered calmly, pointing to an appetizing picture of a chocolate pie with whipped cream on Sephya's menu. He had a point… “And if you like strong coffee, try the cappuccino, the one they serve here is pretty strong. Also, the toast with this bread is great.”

Zack pointed out his suggestions on the menu spread on the table between them, and Sephya analyzed each one, eager to make up her mind before the waiter showed up and she was left staring like an idiot.

She ended up choosing the toast and cappuccino, thinking the cake and coffee would end up being too heavy, since she easily felt sick in the mornings if she wasn't careful. The waiter showed up soon after she made up her mind and took the menus after writing down the orders on a little notepad.

“So, do you have an assignment for today or are they letting you take it easy?” Sephya asked while they waited for the food and drinks to arrive.

Zack sighed and slumped his shoulders. “As if… I think I'm helping Alena with a last-minute security job. Professor Hojo wants to go out and collect some samples or something like that, and there's no way he's going alone.”

The name of Zack's partner for the day piqued Sephya's interest, as well as the mention of Hojo. She recalled her encounter with the woman and the face of the creepy professor she had met a lifetime ago in a series of flashes that made her want to curse.

“Alena… I couldn't ask with everything that happened yesterday, but what the hell is her deal? She picked a fight as soon as she saw me, that's not something people do when they're right in the head.” Sephya said, trying to keep Hojo out of her mind. He was no doubt way worse than Alena on her worst day.

Zack laughed at Sephya's remark and leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms. “Yeah… I don't know what that was about either. I've known her since I joined and she seemed pretty normal. She takes her job seriously and trains a lot, does what she's told without question, and gets good results. I've heard rumors about her getting rough with coworkers and being a hothead but...” Zack's expression changed to one of discomfort and he looked away from Sephya. A sharp white canine pinched his lower lip and pulled a bit, drawing Sephya's attention to his full lips and making her cheeks warm. “When I talked to her yesterday, she said something about being the only partner I need and to stay away from girls like you, whatever that means. She had never said anything like that before, and we have no permanent partners at SOLDIER, especially her, so I didn't get that part either. Alena specializes in stealth missions and espionage, so she's alone most of the time.”

Sephya almost punched the table as she heard “girls like you”, but caught herself before making a scene. What the hell did Alena know? She'd probably had an easy life and got into SOLDIER to show off. After crawling through the mud for years to get where she was now, Sephya wasn't about to let some psychotic woman look down on her. She hoped they would get a joint assignment sometime, to tone down Alena's ego by getting her shown up by a 3rd class.

“Wow, my opinion of her just keeps getting better…” Sephya whispered, then forced a smile when the waiter showed up with the orders.

The conversation paused while the young man in a prim white button-down and black slacks set their food and drinks on the round table. He asked if everything was right before bowing slightly and walking away.

“So, what about you? Any assignments today?” Zack asked as he stabbed a piece of bacon with his fork and neatly cut it with the knife.

Sephya poured half of a sugar packet into her cappuccino and stirred in slow circles. “Got an email from the director saying I should take the day off… But I'm all better and I don't feel like sitting around doing nothing.”

Zack took a sip of his orange juice, then went back to eating his bacon and eggs fast but without getting sloppy. Sephya noted he had considerably good table manners, moving with the precision and composure of someone trained to perfectly control every aspect of his body. As expected of a soldier. And a bit different from Sephya's less disciplined ways. 

“Well, I'd say to come help out with security with me and Alena, but I'm not the one calling the shots and as things stand, you two wouldn't work well together. And, a day off couldn't hurt after what you went through yesterday.”

Sephya grabbed a piece of toast and bit into it as delicately as she could. The bread was lightly toasted just the way she liked and the butter wasn't spread too thick, which was also good. What wasn't good was how hard she was trying to act like some prim and proper lady in front of Zack. She wasn't like that, and she never tried to hide her true self from anyone. It wasn't like she was a cavewoman with no knowledge of society anyway, she had actually turned out pretty well considering how long she'd wandered without food, shelter or proper clothing, or even someone to talk to. So why the hell did she feel so self-conscious now?

“I think that's a good idea actually. I'll ask the director if I can go with you two, thanks for the tip.”

She flashed Zack a cheeky smile, knowing he would be annoyed with her decision. But if Hojo was involved, she had to go and find out what he was up to. Right on cue, Zack sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead, but ended up returning her smile.

“You're a reckless little thing, you know that?”

Sephya lifted her chin and squared her shoulders, making a show of being proud. Recklessness was one of her best traits.

“I sure am, but don't call me little.”

Zack laughed at that and she soon joined him. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun hanging out with someone. Zack was like a breath of fresh air that blew away the darkness crowding her from every direction. It made her wonder how long it would all last this time…

Sometime later, after they'd polished off their plates and talked each other's ears off, Zack and Sephya left the cozy cafe and made their way to the Shinra building. Zack still seemed anxious about Sephya working with Alena, but her mind was made up and she was curious to see the other woman in action, too. If they even got the chance with a boring security job.

They entered the building together and strolled to the elevator while chatting about random things. But then the elevator doors closed and in seconds the space felt too small. Zack was quite a bit bigger than Sephya, and inside the cramped elevator that was even more evident. He just kept talking without noticing a thing, but Sephya immediately ran out of air and saw the walls close in on her.

Cramped spaces and big men were a big no-no for her, and she had been distracted by their conversation and walked in the elevator without thinking.

On instinct, she backed away from Zack as much as she could and ended up squished against the cold steel wall of the elevator. She felt dizzy as the metal box began its ascension and gripped the railing so hard, her knuckles were white.

“Sephya? You're pale, what's wrong?” Zack asked when he noticed her distress, taking a step closer.

Sephya thrust out a hand, palm forward. “Stop! Please, stay away…” Even her voice was weak, what a joke. She was strong now, she could control her magic, sort of, so much had changed, but the fear was stuck to her like superglue.

Zack stepped back until he was pressed against the opposite wall. “Alright, I'm all the way over here, see?” He held up his hands, his voice low and soothing. “I won't touch you so, can you tell me what's wrong?” Sephya shook her head slowly. She couldn't seem to speak through the lump in her throat. Zack nodded. “Alright, I get it. Just try to breathe for now, we're almost there.”

Sephya nodded, appreciating his understanding, and did her best to suck air into her lungs until the elevator doors slid open with a ding that stabbed into her ears and she ran out of the thing like it was on fire. Zack rushed after her and put a hand on her back, and that did it.


	7. What Kind Of Spell...

Sephya knew Zack had meant no harm, that he was just worried and trying to help, but instinct took control of her. As it always did, always had since that day.

Before Zack had a chance to move another inch, Sephya spun around and grabbed his neck. Her hand felt small against the thick ropes of muscle of his bigger body, but still she pushed him against the nearest wall. Her hand pressed harder against him as his back hit the wall and she felt his adam's apple move as he swallowed hard. His skin was warm and she could feel his rushing heartbeat, as well as a slight vibration every time he said something she was too far gone to hear. It was weird that he wasn't retaliating, maybe he just didn't see her as a threat.

But that was a big mistake.

*******************************************************************************************

What in Gaia's name was going on?

They had been getting along so well so far, and now he was pinned against a wall with murderous green eyes on his? She'd caught him so off guard, Zack didn't even know what to think. But he needed to shake her off somehow and fast.

Slowly, he brought a hand up to Sephya's face and brushed his fingers over her cheek. She was so much colder than him, and as soon as he touched her, her grip loosened and her entire body shook. She was terrified and acting on instinct. That was probably the only reason he could still breathe and move at all. Might as well take advantage of it before she got serious.

“Sephya…” He whispered while gently caressing the arm currently trying to kill him. She shuddered and faltered some more. “It's me, Zack. I don't want to hurt you but,” he captured her wrist and she gasped. Her free hand moved, but he couldn't focus on it. “You have to back off.”

All her strength disappeared in a second, which was odd, and she let Zack guide her hand away from his neck. But he shouldn't have let his guard down. Thinking she was back, he relaxed, eased up on his grip, and felt something cold trap his legs.

Startled, he glanced down and saw thick ice encasing his legs up to the knees, surging as more layers added strength to the trap. Shit, big time shit. He was trapped and she was using magic again. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Knock her out? She wasn't going to make that easy and he was running out of time.

“Sephya!”

The firm female voice shouting startled both Zack and Sephya, and in an instant, the ice making its way up Zack's legs shattered.

“Genesis, do something already!” The voice shouted again, and Zack realized it belonged to Sian.

Genesis, who had apparently shown up with Sian, stepped forward and ran a hand through his red hair.

“Tch… the rookie was owning a second and you had to spoil the show.”

Sian groaned. “Shut up and restrain her, please. This is serious.”

“Yeah yeah…”

Strolling up to Zack and Sephya, Genesis looked a lot less than pleased with the situation. And as soon as he reached Sephya, he captured the back of her neck in a red gloved hand and roughly pulled her back. She stumbled as Zack was forced to let go of her and her eyes glowed green as fireballs materialized all around her and Genesis.

“Hey, let her go, you're making it worse.” Zack said, anger rising in him at the way Genesis was handling Sephya.

Genesis didn't even spare him a glance. “Go to sleep honey, before you hurt yourself.” And he knocked Sephya out with a sleep spell.

“Take her to the infirmary.” Sian said as the fireballs disappeared and Genesis picked up Sephya's unconscious body like it weighed nothing.

Seeing Sephya in his superior's arms, Zack felt like his body was burning from the inside out and wanted to scream. His hands tightened to fists until his knuckles turned white and he gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the urge to punch Genesis into next week and grab Sephya. Real cavemen would be proud of his way of handling jealousy...

His sudden protectiveness confused the hell out of him though. Sephya was a nice, if somewhat strange, girl and they had been getting along so far, but he had no reason to get jealous or possessive over someone he had just met. And she had just attacked him too.

“Get it together man…” Zack murmured to himself, following Genesis and Sian to the infirmary without asking if he was allowed to.

No one protested or even spoke, as they marched to the infirmary, and after Sephya was placed on one of the beds, Genesis broke the silence.

“What the hell's up with that girl, Sian? She's a 3rd class, where did that magic come from?”

Sian bit her lip, glancing away and crossing her arms, obviously uncomfortable. “That's…” She paused, then met Genesis's eyes. “That's confidential information.”

Genesis frowned. “And since when are you my superior?”

“Since you started working here. Now stop asking questions and get out of here.”

“What!?” Genesis's face went red with rage. Zack rolled his eyes, another temper tantrum... He could still remember the last one and he'd heard Genesis roaring ten floors up. “You do not get to tell me what to do here! Don't think I'm your goddam errand boy because I did one thing you asked. You're just a doctor we barely even need, so do what I say and tell me who she is!”

Sian remained unaffected by Genesis's outburst, and just as Zack was about to step in, she spoke.

“She is too precious for a brute like you, and you're pissing me off. Get out of here before you cross the line even more. The information you want belongs to the research department and it doesn't matter if you're a SOLDIER 1st class.”

Looking beyond pissed, Genesis's hands clenched to fists as he turned away from Sian and stalked to the door. “Fine, then I'll ask everyone at the research department until someone cracks.”

He paused before walking out, as if expecting Sian to protest, but she was as cool as ever.

“Knock yourself out.” She said, pinning him with a cold stare, and he huffed and stomped out. She sighed as she turned to face Zack, who had unconsciously been guarding the bed Sephya was lying on. “I swear, you people will kill me with stress…” Her cold electric blue eyes met Zack's. “Anyway, I need you to tell me what happened. So far that girl is worse than a loose cannon and at this rate, she's going to get us all killed along with her. I'm not going to hurt her, and no one else was around to see that, so you can relax.”

Zack, who had barely been aware of being tense, felt all his muscles loosen a bit, but just a bit. He glanced back at the bed and felt dizzy. She looked so peaceful and her otherworldly beauty made her look like she'd just jumped out of a fairytale. He wanted to protect her, because, despite her strength, he could tell she was as frail as crystal somewhere inside, where no one could reach. But he didn't know anything, she was just a giant question mark and he was getting fed up with all the secrets.

“I don't have a lot to tell you, Sian.” He ran a hand through his hair and started pacing around the small infirmary. “We had breakfast together and everything was normal, then we walked here together and when we got in the elevator she started to panic. It looked like she couldn't breathe and when I tried to get close she told me to stay away.” While he spoke something dawned on him and his eyes flew open. He stopped pacing and faced Sian. “She told me to stay away, but when we got out of the elevator, I touched her back. And she snapped…”

So what? Was she afraid of men? Of being touched? But he'd touched her before and nothing had happened then.

“I see…” Sian's words interrupted Zack's reeling thoughts and he watched as the doctor sat on the edge of the bed beside Sephya. Gently, like a mother caressing her baby, Sian touched Sephya's cheek and brushed her bangs away from her pretty face. “Next time, heed her warning and don't touch.”

Zack rubbed the back of his head, confused out of his mind. “Wha…?”

“I can't know for sure, but this is probably some kind of trauma. Men and small spaces, feeling trapped and helpless… not hard to put the pieces together.”

What Sian was implying hit Zack like a brick to the face and he took a step back, feeling sick. Those were some real shitty pieces right there. “Wait… you don't think…?”

“That some brute tried to put his hands on a pretty thing like her? Yeah, I do think. But that information stays here. She hasn't said a thing, for all we know, it could be something completely different and we're not in the business of prying.” Zack nodded, she didn't have to tell him twice. But if the guy was alive, he wished Sephya would point him out so he could take all the aggression he was feeling out on the fucker. “That aside, what we need to worry about is her magic. We can't let her use it until I know more about it. She's killing herself every time she calls on that power and we can't let her die.”

Zack's brows pulled together. “You're awfully worried, is there something you're not telling me?”

Sian arched a brow, then flashed a mischievous smile. “There is, but is it really so unlike me to care?”

If it had been someone else, Zack wouldn't have known what to say and got flustered, but he was more than used to Sian's attempts at teasing. “Yeah, it is. And what are you not telling me?”

Sian laughed as she got up and went to sit at her desk instead, focusing her eyes on a stack of papers she started going through. “Ask her when she wakes up, it's not my style to reveal other people's secrets.” She paused and glanced at the ceiling, seeming to ponder something. “Then again, she likes you so you might be at a disadvantage. Good thing she hates me.”

She laughed again and Zack narrowed his eyes, wondering if the good doctor was finally going insane. She was certainly eccentric enough, but that wasn't the problem right now.

Sephya liked him? He felt his cheeks warm. What kind of like? Did she…?

“Not the romantic 'like', you blushing idiot. As a friend.”

Sian's words brought Zack back to reality and he suddenly felt like a huge dork. Of course she wasn't in love with him, they barely knew each other. What the hell was he thinking? He pushed a hand through his hair and groaned, tired despite having just started the day.

“Right, of course…” He said mostly to himself as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to Sephya's slender figure. “But why would she talk to someone she 'hates' but not to a friend?”

Sian shrugged, looking like she couldn't care less. “Who knows, maybe she just doesn't want you to see her bad side. Everyone worries about appearances I guess…”

Zack chuckled. “You talk as if you're not part of that everyone.”

“I'm not.” Sian said simply, looking away from the papers on her desk long enough to wink at Zack. She was a weird one alright. And she cared more than she let on. “Anyway, you still have time before your assignment right?” Zack nodded. The mission was only in the afternoon, so he had a lot of time to kill. He had planned to use the training center but… “Then do me a favor and look after the princess until she wakes up. It's dangerous to leave her alone and I need to take care of some things upstairs.”

Zack cocked an eyebrow, watching as Sian stood and adjusted her prim lab coat. “Princess?”

“Yes, the princess of making my life hell. But maybe of saving my research, too...” Sian said before striding out of the room, not giving Zack a chance to answer.

Wishing he could take a nap, Zack sighed and glanced at Sephya. “Princess uh? What are you, Sephya? And why won't you tell me…”

Just as he was about to look away, Sephya opened her eyes and put a hand on his arm. He almost jumped but caught himself in time. Her hand was cold on his warm skin, but he didn't hate the contact.

“Why do you want to know so much?” She asked, keeping her steady gaze on his.

Zack felt his cheeks combust, wondering how long she had been awake for. “Ah… you heard all that?”

She smiled, but looked like she wanted to laugh. “I was waiting for Sian to leave. Sleep spells can't keep me out for long, but that woman stresses me too much. Too many questions.”

Zack chuckled and cupped the back of his neck. “Yeah, I get that. So uh… how are you feeling?”

Sephya bit her full lower lip as she sat up and started fidgeting with the white sheet covering her legs. “I'm fine for now, but…” She bit her lip even harder, and without thinking, Zack leaned close and pulled the tender flesh free of her canines. She went red as a tomato. “… Zack?”

He knew he wasn't supposed to get so close, but now that he'd done it, he couldn't seem to back off. She smelled like a fresh ocean breeze and her skin felt so soft. Before he knew it, he was getting even closer, leaning into her, bringing their faces closer until he could almost touch her rosy lips…

“Umm… Zack?”

“Yeah?” He whispered, feeling like he was floating, like they were the only two people on the planet and her lips were the only thing he could focus on.

“You're too close.” Her words broke the spell in a second and he backed away so fast he almost threw himself off the bed. What the hell had he been about to do to someone he barely knew? “Ah, by the way… I'm sorry about before, I lost control and… I'm so sorry Zack!” She bowed with a pleading look in her eyes and Zack shook his head.

“It's fine, I ah… I get it. I shouldn't touch you and I keep getting too close. Sorry…”

************************************************************************************************

Zack looked as sad as Sephya had ever seen him as he spoke and a massive weight settled on her chest. He'd treated her to breakfast and done nothing but be nice to her since they'd met, and all she did was hurt him and push him away. Talk about ungrateful. No wonder she had no friends.

“It's not that, Zack, I don't… ah… why is this so hard…” And now Zack was staring at her like she was insane. “I don't hate you, or your touch, is what I'm trying to say. It's just… complicated.”

“Is it because some guy tried to rape you?” Zack blurted out all of a sudden, then covered his mouth with both hands, eyes wide in silent apology.

Sephya narrowed her eyes. “You think that because of what Sian said?” Zack nodded and uncovered his mouth. Sephya sighed. “It's not something I'm comfortable talking about but… no, I wasn't raped. But it was a close call and… I'll tell you some other time, alright?” She asked just as she started feeling woozy. She'd used too much mana because of Genesis and her time was running out fast.

“Alright, I understand. So, want me to take you home? Can you walk?” Sephya shook her head and covered her mouth with a hand, trying to stifle the urge to throw up. What the hell was she supposed to do now? She'd pushed Aerith away. “Sephya? Hey, what's wrong?”

Forcing herself to swallow through the lump and bile in her throat, Sephya leaned back against the bed frame just as her body began to shiver from the rising fever. “I-I'm… out of…”

Dammit, her voice wasn't working right.

“Out of? Out of what? Do you need me to get something? Sian?”

Zack was freaking out, but as a member of SOLDIER maybe he could be of help. He certainly seemed willing enough but it would be dangerous and… Damn, there was no time for hesitation.

“I need… you to…” Sephya tried to explain, grabbing Zack's arm to stop him from running off in search of Sian.

“You need me?” His surprised expression was cute, despite the situation. Sephya nodded. “Alright, sure, what should I do?”

Thinking it might make things easier, Sephya pointed to a water jug and some glasses on one of the white counters. Zack took the hint and got her a glass of water, which she swallowed so fast she ended up coughing.

“I need some of your mana.” She said finally, and unsurprisingly, Zack was confused. “I won't take too much, it won't hurt you, but…”

“But?”

“We have to get close…”

Sephya could practically hear Zack swallow. “Ah… how close?”

“This close-”

There was no time. With the last of her strength, Sephya got up and pushed Zack down on the bed. He was startled but didn't try to push her away, which was good because her energy was all gone. She was embarrassed out of her mind and scared too, but her heart beat faster than ever when she put her hands on Zack's broad chest. She could feel his heart beating fast too and the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. Heat emanated from his skin and through his clothes, warming Sephya's hands and calming her shivering body.

It was strange. She hated getting close to anyone who wasn't Aerith or Elmyra, but Zack was different. He made her want to get even closer.

Slowly, she touched her forehead to his and heard him suck in a breath as her hair slipped over her shoulders and brushed his exposed arms. He seemed uncomfortable and she hated that she was forcing him, but the direct contact was necessary because his mana wasn't as strong as Aerith's, and he couldn't control the flow of it as well as Sephya's best friend could. And foreheads touching was better than… other parts.

As her skin came into contact with his, Sephya concentrated and put her hands on his biceps, hoping to increase the direct contact and make things go faster. It took her a minute to tap into the energy flowing through his body and redirect it into her, and he shuddered when she succeeded. He wasn't used to it, she had to make it quick before she hurt him.

His mana was warm and gentle as it flowed into her steadily, calming her collapsing system and making her feel safe. It was a strangely addictive feeling, different from when Aerith brought her back from the brink.

“Sephya…” Zack whispered when she was almost done. His sky blue eyes glowed green as they met hers and his hands came up to her waist. She almost jumped, but she couldn't break the contact yet. His fingers caressed her back, and despite there being clothes in the way, she felt like he was touching her skin directly. Like he was touching her soul. “I want to touch you more… is that alright?” Zack asked, looking at her through half-lidded eyes.

He looked so different from his usual carefree self, so intense. The heat in his eyes made a shiver roll down her spine. She had no idea of what to do or say, she hadn't even expected any of this, so she just nodded, knowing somewhere inside that, yes, it was alright for him to touch her more.

Zack smiled, and she didn't know what kind of magic he was using on her, but she felt like she was melting. His hands kept caressing her back and soon, Sephya's returning strength began to waver. She was straddling Zack, with her hands lightly touching his hard biceps, and now her arms and legs were turning to jelly. If he kept doing whatever he was doing, she was going to fall on him fast.

“Zack I… umm… I feel strange. What are you doing to me?” She asked on a whisper, trying not to be overwhelmed by his heated blue and green gaze.

“I could ask you the same thing. What kind of spell have you put on me?”

Sephya shook her head, confused. She had done this a million times before with Aerith, but with Zack, it felt so different. “I didn't… there's no spell involved in this…” He smiled again and caressed the exposed skin of her arms. The tips of his fingers were smooth as silk on her skin and suddenly, a sound she had never heard before escaped her lips. She reached up to cover her mouth, cheeks blazing for some reason, and ended up with her face on Zack's chest. “Ah… I-I'm so sorry!” She said as she made to get up, but Zack pulled her right back down before she could move. “Hya! Zack? Um… what are you doing?”

He surrounded her body with his strong arms and despite being embarrassed, Sephya didn't want to escape. She felt so small in his arms, it was kind of scary, but he was so warm and he smelled so nice, of soap and some light, fresh citrus cologne.

It was intoxicating. So much so, they didn't even notice the shadowy figure lurking near the slightly open door, watching them.


	8. Playing The Villain

Sephya was done, the energy she had pulled from him was no longer charging the air around them, no longer draining out of his body, but Zack couldn't let her go. She felt so good in his arms, a perfect fit didn't even begin to describe it.

It was insane but he wanted her. He wanted her more than anything before, like nothing before. And her glazed, half-lidded eyes told him she wanted the same, for now.

“Your lips…” Zack whispered, unable to stop himself as he rolled them around on the bed, pinning her under him. He traced the perfect shape of her full, rosy lips with a finger and she parted them slightly. For Gaia's sake, she looked like a goddess sprawled on the bed under him, so delicate yet so strong, so willing to let him have his way. How was he supposed to resist? “I'm going to kiss you if you don't stop me soon.” He murmured, not wanting to force her but not wanting to let her go either.

She flashed a mischievous smile and licked the tip of his finger. He saw her small pink tongue as it darted out of her mouth for a second and touched his skin, and every nerve ending in his body focused on the place she'd touched. He wouldn't mind having her lips and tongue on other places but he couldn't let his brain go there...

“Aren't you afraid?” He asked, holding onto the last bit of sanity he had to keep himself still.

Sephya shook her head. “A little, but… you feel different. I don't hate them, your hands on me…”

Zack groaned as his body reacted to her words, with one specific area getting hard as steel. He was losing it, they were both losing it, but he'd be damned if he was going to stop now.

Slowly, he leaned down to her, brought their faces closer and closer until he could feel her dewy breath on his lips as she exhaled. Her chest rose and fell fast and he could tell she was nervous, but she made no move to stop him. Just a bit more and their lips would touch, they were so close he was already anticipating how silky the contact would be.

“Ahem!”

The sound of Sian's fake cough shook both Zack and Sephya out of the moment. In seconds he jumped off of her and got busy staring at the wall behind the bed. He was hard as a rock and Sian didn't need to get an eyeful of that. No one did actually, but Sephya probably noticed. He had a feeling she wouldn't quite know what it was though.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Sephya shuffle around on the bed, sitting up slowly, her cheeks red and jade eyes hazy. She looked sexy and cute all at once, totally out of it because of him.

“Sorry to interrupt you when… well…” Sian cleared her throat. It would have been funny to see her flustered if Zack hadn't just got caught pushing down a colleague. “Anyway, I need to check on Sephya since she used magic, and Alena was looking for you, Zack.”

Sian pointed over her shoulder at Alena, who was standing just inside the door, arms crossed, looking like someone had just got done insulting her, all her friends and her extended family too, to top it off. And Zack got all that from a glance over his shoulder.

“It's about our assignment this afternoon. Professor Hojo wants to go to the slums for some reason and I wanted to train with you a bit, so we work well together later.”

At the mention of the slums, Sephya's green eyes flew open and she became instantly alert. She didn't even try to hide her obvious interest in the topic and directed a pleading stare at Zack. He understood what she wanted, but could she still go? After the magic incident? He didn't want to put her in unnecessary danger.

“I can go. Your mana is… strong…” She whispered with blushing cheeks, making sure only he could hear her.

Zack felt his own cheeks warm and found himself struggling to get his downstairs buddy under control all over again. Was he in this state because he hadn't been with anyone in a while? He needed to get his urges under control. Maybe train until he passed out to burn some energy.

“We need to talk later, and you're not getting away this time.” He whispered to Sephya, leaning closer to her without turning around. Her cheeks turned an even darker shade of crimson and her eyes focused on the messy sheets. Zack had to smile. “Alena, can you wait for me at the rest area for a bit? I won't be long, promise.”

Alena, still angry at something, stared daggers at Sephya before turning around. “Sure, I get it…” She grumbled and left.

Sian sighed and walked to the bed, sitting beside Sephya, who just looked confused now. Zack moved closer to the wall, cursing in his head because his buddy couldn't seem to calm down. Just looking at Sephya on that bed, remembering how she had been under him just minutes ago, her green eyes seeing only him, her delicate hands on his body, her soft, rosy lips so inviting… and there it was again! For Gaia's sake, was he going to stare at the infirmary wall for the rest of the day?

*********************************************************************************

While Sian looked her over from top to bottom with worried electric blue eyes, like she was checking for cracks on a precious piece of china, Sephya stared at Zack. Was she really going to let him kiss her before? And why had she been okay with being under him like that? And why the hell was he staring at the wall now? Also, she needed to go with him and Alena to the slums. That damned Hojo was planning something, and Aerith was in the slums.

Sephya's hands clenched to fists and her intense gaze probably got close to burning a hole in Sian's head. If Hojo touched a hair on Aerith's head, she was turning him into mincemeat. Literally.

“Sephya, are you sure you're okay? Shouldn't that magic you used have side effects?” Sian asked, finally giving Sephya her personal space back.

Sephya glanced away, focusing on Zack for a moment. He looked uncomfortable as hell, fidgeting with his clothes and groaning. “Yeah ah… I drained some of Zack's mana, so it's cool…”

Sian's eyes went wide. “Oh! So that's why you were all over each other? You can drain mana? How? Since when?”

She was like a kid with a new toy. Sephya sighed and narrowed her eyes. Heard Zack clear his throat as he adjusted his pants for the millionth time. Sian was in full researcher mode but on the verge of laughing anyway.

“You ask too many questions, you know that? Make it so I can go with Zack and Alena this afternoon and I might answer one.”

Zack, finally done staring at the wall, snorted as he turned around and started walking to the door. “You found a worthy opponent Sian, good luck with that.” He said before walking out and closing the door.

Sian sighed, visibly annoyed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. “You know, you would do well to stay on my good side while you're here.”

Sephya matched Sian's cold stare with one of her own. “Why? 'cause you secretly call all the shots or something?”

“No, but I have some friends in high places and I'm on your side.”

Sephya crossed her arms, unconvinced. “How so?”

“They don't care if you and Aerith are the last of the Cetra, they don't care if you disappear for good, but I do.”

“Really now… So who's 'they'?” Sephya prodded, still trying to ascertain Sian's true intentions. The doctor/researcher was hard to read.

“'They' are pretty much every other researcher here. And professor Hojo as you should already know. They want to use people like you and Aerith, suck you dry and throw you away when they're done. I want to stop that.”

Sephya got busy tying up her sort of messed up hair. “I know that. They've been trying to get Aerith through 'peaceful means' for a while now. And as for me… I don't think they know what to do about me yet. Probably take me apart to see how I function, then throw the pieces in a ditch, since I'm a threat.”

Sian actually looked angry for a moment. “I won't let that happen.”

Sephya hummed. “Why do you care? With or without their help, a ditch is where I'll end up one day. Monsters like me should just disappear like that…”

With swift movements, Sian put her hands on Sephya's shoulders and shook her. Sephya almost pushed the woman off the bed, but the worry in her eyes, the defiance, made her stop. This whole thing meant more to her than she let on. Than Sephya was willing to admit. She was too used to being alone, with no one to have her back if she tripped up and made a mistake.

“You're not a monster! Dammit, you're just like him… Why can't you understand…”

Sephya frowned. “Like him? What are you talking about?”

Sian snapped out of a trance and shot to her feet, smoothing her lab coat with both hands and regaining her composure in seconds. “Nothing, it doesn't matter.” She stalked to her desk and sat down, pulled some papers from one of the drawers. “Anyway, you want to go with those two this afternoon, right?” Sephya nodded, hopping off the bed and sauntering to Sian's side. “I'll make it happen, but you have to answer one of my questions later, deal?”

Sephya smiled despite herself. For as smart as Sian probably was, she could be quite simple sometimes.

“Deal.”

Sian smiled and stretched her arms and long legs, leaning back on the blue office chair she was sitting on. “Awesome. I'll warn you when it's done, so stick around.”

Sephya stretched as well, lifting her arms over her head, wishing she didn't feel so tense. She needed to blow off some steam, her head was a mess.

“Cool, I'll be in the training center.”

Sian focused on the papers spread out on her desk. “Alright, but don't tire yourself out too much.”

“Yes, mom.” Sephya joked as she left the room and heard Sian chuckle before closing the door.

Just as she took her first step toward the elevator, Sephya heard whisper shouting and stopped. She recognized the voices, and despite hating herself for doing it, she padded closer to where they were coming from, curiosity getting the better of her. She ended up hiding around a corner, close to the rest area where Zack had promised to meet up with Alena before.

“What the hell Zack?! We have an assignment together and you're rolling around in bed with some chick you just met?! At work?!”

Hearing Alena's loud questions that were downright accusations, Sephya bit her lip and dug her nails into the palms of her hands, trying to stop herself from stepping in.

“What of it Alena? It's my life, so can you stop with the sudden attitude? I don't know why you think I have to explain myself to you all of a sudden.”

Ha! Take that bitch! Sephya thought, feeling way too happy for the occasion. She needed more hobbies... Why the hell did she care about that crazy woman and her obsession with Zack? Too much free time had to be the problem.

“But… I just thought it was irresponsible, that's all.” Alena's usual haughty tone went down a few notches. “We should be training, not… making out in the infirmary…”

Making out? The hell was that? Sephya wondered, frowning. But then again, what _had_ they been doing? She had asked to take his mana, he'd agreed, sort of, and then things had got kind of weird. He'd touched her and she hadn't felt like killing him. It had actually felt… good?

A loud sigh escaped Sephya's lips and she immediately slapped both hands over her mouth. She was so confused her head was pounding, and this conversation wasn't helping. She should just leave-

“I know, Alena. And I don't even know what I was doing back there, to be honest, but we weren't making out…” Why did he sound disappointed when he said that, sephya wondered. “she just asked me to-” _Please don't tell her!!_ Sephya pleaded directly to Zack's mind in a rush. It was simple to do and used little mana, so she should be okay, and she would do anything to make sure Alena knew nothing about her. For now, at least.

Zack was startled for a moment, glancing over his shoulder right a the corner Sephya was hiding around, then shook his head and regained some composure.

“Zack? You okay? What did she ask you to do?” Alena pressed and Sephya gritted her teeth. She couldn't keep warning him forever, but if Alena found out about her weakness, about how much of a monster she was… things could get ugly.

“Ah… yeah, I'm good. And nothing, it was nothing. We just got carried away and, I don't know… I barely know her, but…”

“She seduced you? With that tiny body? I didn't know you were so easy to please.”

_Excuse me?! Seduced? Tiny body?_ Alena was so dead. And Zack could go be her buddy in hell if he kept up this conversation.

“Don't trash talk people behind their backs, Alena, and she's quite attractive actually, I'm not easy to please. As for the seducing part, I think she's too clueless for that, so no, that wasn't it.”

Clueless?! Oh, those two were going places alright. Unpleasant places.

“Well, what do we have here? Eavesdropping is rude, you know.”

The deep male voice close to Sephya's ear made her jump and she almost blew her cover with a yelp. Who the hell…? She turned around and came nose to nose with Angeal. She almost yelped again. Why did it have to be him? When she was spying on Zack, too…

“Ah… aha, yeah, sorry, I guess?” She did her best to look apologetic, but Angeal just arched a brow. “Umm… is there something you want?” She asked when he didn't say anything.

“No, I just got curious when I saw you here, peeking around a corner.” A smug smile appeared on Angeal's lips, but at least he didn't look angry. “So, why were you spying on Zack?”

Sephya suddenly wished she could make herself disappear. She was never spying on anyone again.

“Well I… ah… I heard shouting as I was passing and I got curious…” She wasn't lying, technically. Then again, she barely knew herself why she had decided to spy. “A-anyway, I was going to the training center, so if you'll excuse me…” She started to walk away but stopped when Angeal followed. “Why are you following me?” She asked over her shoulder, getting serious.

He shrugged and smiled. He was a handsome man, she noticed, probably popular with the ladies. Oh, right, he had a fan club. But he also made her uncomfortable. The energy around him was strange, unnatural. Aerith was way better at sensing stuff and hearing the planet, she might have been able to tell what was wrong with Angeal, but Sephya just felt uneasy, not quite able to pinpoint the problem. She needed to train more.

“Just thought I'd use the training center too, keep you company. Is that alright?”

Sephya shrugged and resumed walking. “You're free to go wherever you want, but I didn't ask for any company.”

Angeal chuckled and Sephya groaned, walking faster to stay ahead of him. She didn't care what he was playing at, but she really needed to blow off some steam now. If she didn't, Alena was in danger of losing her face. Calling her tiny… just because she was a bit taller she thought she was so much better? Yeah right.

When they reached the elevator, Sephya came to a sudden stop. No way in hell was she getting in that metal box with Angeal. He was even bigger than Zack and she didn't trust him one bit.

“Is something wrong?” Angeal asked, coming to stand beside her and examining her face.

Sephya felt like cursing. “Yeah, I decided to use the emergency stairs as a warmup.” And she made for the stairs like her life depended on it. Angeal followed.

Sephya refused to acknowledge her stalker and they climbed the stairs in silence. It wasn't even a warmup for members of SOLDIER like them, but when they reached the training center, Sephya felt tired for a bunch of other reasons.

Still not even looking at Angeal, she marched to one of the treadmills and put the thing on a medium speed to start off. Just as she was beginning to think Angeal had finally decided to buzz off, he appeared on the treadmill next to hers and turned the thing on. She couldn't stop the loud sigh that escaped her lips.

“Am I bothering you that much?” Angeal asked, his tone serious.

Sephya shook her head slowly as she fell into a jog, effortlessly keeping up with the machine. “No, I don't know… I just don't trust you alright?”

Angeal laughed, and she noticed he'd set the treadmill close to the maximum speed. He wasn't even breaking a sweat.

“But you trust Zack?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What's that supposed to mean?”

“He's my friend, so if I'm up to no good…” He trailed off, smiling easily as if he wasn't running faster than a human should be able to.

Sephya decided to focus her eyes straight ahead instead of on the man running beside her. There was a panoramic window in front of the treadmills that provided her with a view of the city skyline, which was better than nothing. Sort of.

She hated Midgar, but she had to admit the view was nice. The sprawling sea of brownish and reddish buildings and winding streets seemed to go on forever, the smoke rising from countless chimneys making everything eerie. Even the colorful glow of countless neon signs had a hard time breaking through the fog of pollution. It was an overwhelming sight, a testament to humanity's lust for power, for ownership of the planet and everything on it.

The city was just as terrible as the people who had brought it to life, too. A dark mess of pipes and buildings and backstreets barely wide enough for one person. And there was no nature, no green in sight. Sephya missed the outside world, no matter how harshly it had once treated her.

“Are you implying that Zack is up to no good?” She asked without averting her eyes from the life-sucking titan outside the window. She upped the speed of the treadmill bit by bit until she was running at the same speed as Angeal.

He whistled. “You're going fast there, will you be okay?”

She wasn't even breaking a sweat yet. “Answer my question and I'll answer yours.”

Angeal chuckled and upped the speed of his machine until it wouldn't go any higher. “I don't know what he's up to, but he's interested in you. Maybe a bit too much…”

Sephya's brows pulled together. “And what's that supposed to mean?”

“It's my turn to get an answer.”

“Tch… Yeah, I'll be fine, this is my warmup. Your turn.”

“I'm worried he's in over his head when it comes to you. And how is that a warmup?”

“It just is. And what are you implying?”

“You're a wild card and I worry about what he'll end up involved in if he stays close to you.”

Done with her warmup, Sephya turned off the machine and realized she'd forgot to get a towel from her locker. Great…

“Wild card uh… Don't worry, I'll stay away from him if you want. Just say the word.”

As expected, Angeal followed her to the area where a bunch of blue mats lined the floor and started doing sit-ups as well. Only a hundred times faster. These SOLDIER 1st class were something else...

“Is that right… Why are you so willing to do what I say?”

Sephya kept her eyes on the boring light gray ceiling as she continued her workout. “I'm not, but getting close to Zack isn't all that important… I have no reason to antagonize a superior over a person I just met.”

Angeal loosed a small laugh and stopped mid sit-up, resting his powerful arms on his knees. “But you've been getting along, right?”

Sephya sped up her workout, wishing the burn she was feeling all over her torso would spread faster and take away her voice. She was finding this whole conversation more than a little pointless and it was grating on her nerves. What was Angeal trying to get at? And why couldn't she work out in peace?

“I think so, yes, what of it?”

“What are you?” Angeal asked suddenly, his voice a deep rumble of authority that demanded attention.

Sephya stopped moving at that, lying down on the mat and staring at the ceiling. Of course that was the problem. She cursed under her breath. Just one more to add to the list…

“I'm a woman, can't you see?” She asked, waving a hand dismissively, her tone as dead as she felt.

“Answer my question.” Angeal demanded, staring down at her with cold blue eyes.

He was just another person wishing she would disappear. Wishing she had never existed at all.

“What would you do if I did?”

He narrowed his eyes. “That depends…”

Sephya sat up and met his cold stare head-on. “On what?”

He captured her wrist before she could react, gripping it painfully in his big hand. She hadn't been expecting him to get physical in the middle of the training center so got caught off guard. And he was strong, definitely strong enough to hold her in place unless she used magic.

“On whether you're a threat.” He whispered, bringing his face close to hers. Close enough for her to see the green glow of mako surging around his dark pupils.

_So you want me to be the villain here uh? I guess it does suit your needs, it's always easier to kill an obvious villain. And you're such a good little SOLDIER._

“Yeah, I am a threat and I'm not here to be a good little soldier. What are you going to do about it?” A menacing smile appeared on Sephya's lips as she reached for the hand Angeal had around her wrist. His grip loosened when she just caressed his fingers and she guided the now free hand to her slender neck. He didn't instantly lose his cool, which was to be expected from a 1st class SOLDIER. “Will you kill me? Right here? So I don't get my bloodstained hands on your friend?”

Angeal's expression darkened and his hand tightened on Sephya's neck. She let him push her down on the mat and did nothing as he loomed over her, completely dwarfing her small figure with his hand pressing down on her neck.

“Maybe I should…” He whispered, digging his fingers into her milky skin even harder…


	9. Dangerous Attraction

“So, why are we here again?” Zack asked a bit louder than he probably should, turning to face Alena and Sephya, who were both just staring at professor Hojo and the whole lot of nothing special he was doing.

The researcher was jumping from place to place in a particularly barren area of the sector 5 slums where monsters prowled day and night, waiting for unfortunate, clueless souls to step into their territory. The neglected junk heap was littered with debris and dirt, pieces of long-abandoned buildings with rusty tin roofs strewn about the place like corpses. It might have made an interesting study on why Midgar sucked (the life out of everything around it, to be specific) but Hojo wasn't hopping around like a bunny on steroids for that, so Sephya didn't see the point.

“No idea. But aren't we supposed to be fighting monsters for him or something?” Sephya said, crossing her arms and sighing. At least Sian had made good on her promise to let her come on the mission, but now she had an interrogation waiting in the near future, which was awesome really.

As she stood around doing a whole lot of nothing, she brought a hand up to her neck and stared at the dry, dying earth beneath her feet, not really seeing anything but a blur.

She recalled her encounter with Angeal, the feel of his rough hand, so inhumanly strong it could probably crush rocks, biting into the tender skin of her neck with a bruising grip. Bringing her closer to what she wanted most, the freedom of eternal darkness, of returning to the planet, if she was even allowed to. But she couldn't die yet, she had to hold on a bit longer, just a bit longer.

But she had almost allowed Angeal to snuff her out in that training center, occupied by only the two of them and a few security cameras unable to see them. But then she'd come to her senses and grabbed his wrist, burned him with a concentrated discharge of mana, and slipped away as he faltered. He'd looked more curious than hurt or angry as she'd backed away from him, ready to hit him with a barrage of magic that would leave her on the brink of death but still more alive than he would be.

What would Zack say if she did something like that though? If she hurt his friend and mentor just so she could live do die another day, in another cold, unfamiliar place?

“You're not human, are you?” Angeal had asked simply, sitting with his arms propped on his knees again.

His simple question had pierced her like a sword, a sword that could split her soul in half as well as her body.

“I'm supposed to be, but… I don't know.” She'd made an effort to meet his eyes that were no longer filled with hostility, as if his heart had never been in it, to begin with. “I just can't die yet, but I'll let you do the honors when the time comes if you want.” A small, forced smile had appeared on her lips then. She was faintly aware of the sting of sorrow damaging her already bruised heart but paid it no mind. “In the meantime, I have no intention of hurting Zack or seducing him or whatever, so you can relax.”

Angeal had stood up at that and Sephya had been on guard again. But he'd just smiled and placed a heavy hand on her shoulder as he'd been about to pass by her.

“What if he seduces you?” He'd asked, then sauntered away before she could get a word in.

Back to the present and the boredom making her feel antsy, Sephya glanced at Zack, who was pacing back and forth with Alena hot on his heels, and felt a flush creep up her cheeks. Angeal's question rang out in her head like the biggest, noisiest bell on the planet, getting louder and louder as she got more confused. There was no way she was falling for Zack, she didn't even know what that felt like.

But if she was so sure of that, why was she worrying?

“Hey, Sephya! You okay?” Zack called from a few steps ahead, where he was still trudging around with Alena chasing him like an abandoned puppy.

His words put a stop to Sephya's whirlwind of thoughts and as she looked at him and Alena, she realized she was annoyed.

Alena was apparently guarding Zack instead of Hojo, Zack's pacing was going to make a hole in the earth soon, Hojo kept staring at some debris and rubbing his chin as if he were seeing the most interesting thing on the planet, and Sephya was so antsy she could feel all the pent up energy humming under her skin. And they were way too close to Aerith and Elmyra's house. What a day.

“Yeah, I'm fine, but standing around like this is killing me.”

Because Zack wasn't exactly standing close to her, Sephya answered his question a bit too loud, and immediately felt Hojo's cold, calculating stare on her.

He looked her over from top to bottom, lingering on her face and peering into her jade eyes, not even trying to hide his clinical stare. She wondered if he was already on to her, if he knew she was a descendant of the Cetra, the same one he'd seen as a child a lifetime ago. Despite not being related to them, Sephya did share some traits with Aerith and Ifalna, the shape and color of the eyes, the rosy lips and small face, the lean build, and Hojo had had years to get familiar with Ifalna's unique traits. And he was one of the top researchers at Shinra and all.

But if he knew that, then he also had to be aware she wouldn't be easy to capture and keep contained. They had succeeded with Ifalna and Aerith, but Sephya's powers were nothing like theirs. She wished she was like them, but no amount of wishing could change the monster she actually was.

“You, get over here,” Hojo ordered like he owned the place and then some, motioning for Sephya to come closer.

Swallowing a string of curses that would make a sailor blush, she squared her shoulders and stalked to his side like a good little soldier. When she stopped beside him, she linked her hands behind her back and waited, head held high. Without looking, she sensed Zack stealthily getting closer to where she was standing, with Alena glued to his heels, of course.

“I gave clearance for you to use that scythe strapped to your back because I wanted to see what you can do. I need some samples from those monsters over there, go knock out a few.”

Hojo spoke without averting his eyes from the heap of rusted junk in front of him but pointed to the exact spot where the monsters were. Sephya recognized the creatures the researcher was interested in, they were fairly common in the area.

Medium-sized, mostly round red bodies with white bellies, and some menacing teeth and spikes on their backs. They were no threat to her, but that was relative. For regular people of the slums, and even some trained soldiers and mercenaries, they could spell a painful death. The fuckers could even use basic fire spells.

“Consider it done, sir. Should I take out the whole group?” Sephya said, digging her nails into the palms of her hands as an incentive to keep her words professional.

Hojo glanced at her, cocking an eyebrow, then went back to his favorite junk heap. “Sure, knock yourself out.”

Sephya almost laughed but settled on a small smile. “Unlikely, but as you say, sir.” And she unstrapped her double-bladed scythe, grinning as she extended it to its full, impressive size. The cool, smooth metal felt like heaven as she gripped it firmly, and the sharpened to perfection blade glinted under the faint sunlight filtering down to their under the plate location. Thank Gaia there were street lamps around and sun lamps high above, incorporated into the underside of the plate. Life in the slums would have been dark and bleak otherwise. “Give me five minutes.”

As she marched to the group of about fifteen monsters, aware of the pleased grin on her lips, she heard Hojo huff and then a question from Zack.

“Why are you asking her to fight alone? It would be faster if we took care of it together.”

There was worry in Zack's tone, which was unnecessary but nice, and not lost on Alena. She groaned as if someone had just kicked her shins in response to Zack's words.

“We'll see about that,” Hojo answered simply, and despite hating the man, Sephya appreciated him giving her free reign for a bit. It would be fun if nothing else.

***************************************************************************************

Even though Sephya stalked to the monsters without missing a beat and smiling like the grim reaper about to hit a buffet, Zack couldn't help but worry. Her petite, elegant build made it hard to believe she was also crazy powerful, as obvious as it was.

Regardless, all his worries were cast aside once she reached the hoard of unsuspecting monsters and let loose. He actually felt sorry for the spiky creatures. Because what he saw wasn't a battle, it was a one-sided massacre.

An eerie smile stayed on Sephya's rosy lips despite the ruthlessness of her attacks. She swung and twirled the scythe that was practically as big as she was like it weighed nothing, spinning like a ballerina and slicing everything around her, flinging monsters up in the air like balls, then jumping and spinning again, slashing so fast it was hard to track her movements. She was agile, precise, and deadly.

It was like watching the world's deadliest dance, and it was disturbingly beautiful. She was a predator, through and through. The monsters had never stood a chance. And by the end of it, Zack was thoroughly impressed and eager to challenge Sephya to a sparring session.

“Showoff…” Alena grumbled beside Zack, her eyes glued to the show of power despite her complaint.

“Feel free to show off as well if you want, but I will not be held responsible if she cuts you down, too,” Hojo muttered, keeping his eyes on Sephya and rubbing his chin. He didn't look all that pleased with her show of power, Zack noted, but the gears in his researcher's brain were already moving at high speed.

Alena huffed. “No thanks, I don't trust monsters to have my back in a fight.”

“Monsters… mm…” Hojo glanced at a classic watch strapped to his wrist. “She's done, and it took less than five minutes. Interesting…”

Uneasiness flared in Zack's gut at Hojo's attitude. He hadn't ordered Sephya to fight those monsters because he needed them, Alena would have been a better choice for knocking them out, Sephya was too aggressive.

He'd sent Sephya to assess her power, the whole battle an experiment in disguise. And Zack didn't like the idea of his friend being treated like a lab rat. Who was to say it wouldn't happen again, with increased danger?

***********************************************************************************

_ Yes, keep up the pointless struggle you ants, curse your misfortune. _

_ You're not monsters._

_ I am._

As her blade sliced through the monsters with ease and gooey green blood rained down, staining her dark clothes and her pale skin, Sephya smiled. So Hojo wanted a show? Then she would give him a show. She would burn this slaughter into his creepy, sunken dead eyes until he understood how hopeless it was to try and capture her. Or her friends for that matter.

This was all she as good for. She was a killing machine, deadly and useless outside of war, of battle. She couldn't even be a shield, despite all the power Gaia had deigned to grant her. When she tried to protect, when she cared, people ended up dead. She couldn't even control the massive amounts of mana in her body, which was why she was constantly using too much and nearly killing herself. Which was why she had failed when it mattered most. Twice.

“There…” Finally done slicing and dicing, Sephya slashed through the empty space in front of her to shake off the blood clinging to her scythe, then looked around at the monster chunks strewn about. “Wonder if he can use any of this. Guess I'm a bad soldier after all…”

She couldn't help grinning before turning around and walking back to Hojo and her colleagues.

Hojo crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes as she approached. Zack and Alena just looked shocked. Good, now Zack would stay away and Angeal would stop pestering.

“I said to knock them out, not make mincemeat,” Hojo complained.

Sephya wanted to laugh so bad it hurt to stop herself. “Sorry, sir. Should I try again?”

“No, I've seen enough and you look filthy, we're going back.”

_Thanks, asshole, you think killing monsters is a clean business? Go back to hiding in your little lab. _Sephya thought, frowning.

“As you wish.” Sephya made a show of bowing, then looked up and met Hojo's eyes, threatened him with a cold, unblinking stare. “Sir.” She finished, then straightened and turned her back on the toothpick thin professor. “I'll lead the way in case something actually dangerous shows up.”

Hojo grunted. “… Sure, just keep your distance.”

Sephya cocked an eyebrow, not turning around. Scared much? How fun this torture was.

In response to Hojo's “request”, Sephya just nodded and walked ahead, leading the group on their way back. She guarded the vanguard alone for a while and drew her scythe on a group of idiot thugs who thought it was a good idea to get close despite how menacing she looked, covered in blood with a weapon strapped to her back. The group of four men dressed in rags ran off before she even had to do anything and she promptly put her weapon away.

When they were once again above the plate, walking on considerably safer, cobblestone streets among clean red brick buildings and well-dressed people that kept giving Sephya dirty looks, Zack left the rear guard to Alena and approached Sephya. Hojo stared at them, rubbing his chin, some kind of weird, calculating interest making him smile.

“Hey, Sephya, how's the weather over here?” The young SOLDIER asked with a cheeky smile, leaning forward with his hands on his hips.

Sephya cracked a smile but felt like frowning. Wasn't he scared of her? It didn't look like he was, but since he'd stayed close to Alena for almost the entire mission, Sephya had assumed she had effectively pushed him away. It wasn't pleasant, the idea of Zack calling her a monster and never wanting to talk to, or get close to her again, but it would be for the best in the long run.

“What are you doing here, Zack? Go back to Alena before she gets distracted by her missing boyfriend.”

Sephya's words were meant to be harsh, cold, but she couldn't help speaking a bit playfully. She enjoyed Zack's company and the way they interacted. The only close friend she had ever known was Aerith, and they had known each other for years and been brought together by less than natural events. It was strange, getting attached to someone after such a long time, especially when Sephya sucked at making friends. But she had an inkling that whatever her thing was with Zack, it was different from what she had with Aerith and it was dangerous. It needed to end.

“Boyfriend? I don't remember being anyone's boyfriend, and Alena can take care of herself.” Zack said all matter of fact, straightening and linking his hands behind his head.

Some kind of happy warmth spread through Sephya's body and she groaned, wishing she could punch herself without looking like a crazy person. Not that she wasn't already rocking the whole crazy vibe, she would probably be making appearances in the nightmares of all the people they passed on the street. Too bad for them.

“If you say so.” She said dismissively, noticing they were getting close to the grand main entrance of the Shinra building and scanning the streets for any last-minute threats.

There were none, but Sephiroth sauntered out of the building's opaque automatic sliding doors as they approached and his piercing cat eyes glanced at Hojo, then locked on to Sephya.

Shinra's war hero approached as Sephya's group was passing and fell into step beside Hojo.

“Professor Hojo, did you run into trouble in the slums? Is that SOLDIER hurt?” Sephiroth asked, the concern in his voice so subtle it was barely there.

Hojo grunted and linked his hands behind his back as the building's sliding doors parted for the group, the public security soldiers stationed on either side saluting as they filed into the building. “Nothing happened, but you might want to give your fellow SOLDIER there a few lessons on self-control. In fact…” Sephya felt a pair of ice-cold stares burning holes in her back and shivered, making an effort to appear unaffected. Trouble was on the way. “A mock battle between you and Sephya there might be interesting.”

“You want _me_ to fight a rookie, sir?” Even Sephiroth's impassive voice sounded amused.

“She's not just any rookie, but you'll see. Sephya, meet us in the simulation room in an hour.” Sephya almost cursed but caught herself. Was that crazy professor serious? Of course he was. What better way to test her power and how much they could control her, than pitting her against the strongest in Shinra? He would crush her in seconds and they would have one less problem to deal with. “Sephiroth, I hope you were free. I need to show you something.”

“Of course,” Sephiroth answered, his cold tone back, the deep rumble of his voice stoking the fear growing in Sephya's chest.

She didn't want to fight him, he was even more of a monster than she was. His eyes scared her, they were too unnatural, everything about him was unnatural, even the energy around him. He lacked emotion, humanity, and it was terrifying. She couldn't read him and she didn't want to be on the wrong end of his sword if she could help it.

She couldn't help it as it turned out. And she had an hour to make sure she put up a fight.

**************************************************************************************

Zack couldn't believe Sephya was actually entertaining the idea of fighting Sephiroth. And he couldn't believe how bad he was freaking out.

He paced around one of the wood benches between the rows of gray metal lockers in the locker room, trying to relax and failing while Sephya cared for the scythe on her lap with the skill of someone who'd done it a million times before. She polished and made sure the blade wasn't damaged, made sure there wasn't any dirt or blood dulling the metal's flawless shine.

The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but he couldn't help thinking Sephya looked too calm, too resigned. He didn't want her to be resigned, he wanted her to complain, wanted her to make a fuss, and not get into a mock battle with Sephiroth. But that wasn't what soldiers did. And in her heart of hearts, Sephya was a soldier. Willing to stare death in the eyes, proud and unafraid.

“So you're really doing this?”

Sephya sighed, lifted her scythe, and examined it under the fluorescent light. “Yes, Zack, and you've already asked that ten times. I'm counting.”

He couldn't help smiling as he ran a gloved hand through his spiky black hair. “Sorry but… you know this is a crazy idea, right? Hojo has no right to force you into that battle, you could refuse.”

Sephya put the scythe down on the wood bench and shot to her feet, stretching her arms over her head. She was still covered in monster blood and dirt, but her otherworldly beauty was unmarred. She was still as elegant and alluring as a fairy, glowing with a unique charm.

“I could but I'm not going to.” She turned to face Zack and gave him the once over. “Now stop pacing and sit down, facing that way.”

She pointed with her thumb to the lockers behind her and Zack frowned.

“Why? If I sit still now the stress is going to make me explode.”

Sephya laughed, muffling the sound with a hand in front of her mouth. She looked so much like a girl when she did that, so beautiful, it made Zack want to scream. He didn't want to see her like that, didn't want to think of her like that. Ever. But he could feel himself losing that battle.

She was a SOLDIER, the same as him. She was strong, maybe even stronger than him. She could take care of herself and more than hold her own in a fight. And it would suck if he got protective over her doing her job. Nevermind Shinra's rules about members of SOLDIER dating each other. Getting fired would be the least of their worries if they tripped up. But imagining Sephya in a battlefield, covered in blood and dirt, hurt, surrounded by death… it just felt wrong.

“You really are a ball of energy, aren't you?” She asked, flashing a charming smile.

Zack wished he could knock himself out. He couldn't tie her to a chair and fight in her place if he was unconscious. “Yeah, so why do I have to sit?”

“Because I'm going to shower and change, and if you peek I'll have to separate your head from the rest of your body.”

Sephya smiled sweetly and glanced at the scythe on the bench, then back at Zack. He swallowed hard.

“Right… why not just ask me to leave?”

“I need a lookout. Now stay.”

“What am I, your dog?” Zack asked, cocking an eyebrow as he sat down beside Sephya's weapon.

“Well, Angeal did say you remind him of a puppy.” Sephya joked as she took a white towel from her locker and disappeared into the shower area right behind Zack.

“Why does everybody seem to know that? I swear, it's like mandatory knowledge for new recruits nowadays…”

Sephya's soft laugh reached him as water began to pour from a showerhead, and he became acutely aware of what was happening. The sound of a zipper being pulled down that soon followed reinforced that feeling, overwhelming him with an urge to turn around.

Sephya was right behind him, naked, with water pouring over all her flawless, porcelain skin, trickling down the soft curves of her petite body. And Zack couldn't believe he might actually be falling for a colleague.

“Shit…” He breathed, covering his ears with both hands and examining the white floor tiles between his feet.

If he kept focusing on the sound of that shower, on the occasional splashes as Sephya moved, on the subtle sighs that escaped her lips from time to time, an image would begin to form in his mind. An image of her naked and under him that would only spell trouble. His current situation had to be some kind of torture.

“Zack, you okay?”

Sephya's voice sounded close and Zack almost glanced over his shoulder before remembering the situation with a start. She was probably still naked, and now she was closer. Great. At least he'd managed to distract himself with a silly game on his phone for the duration of her shower.

“Ah, yeah, I'm cool. You need something?” He answered, snapping his phone shut and shoving it in one of the pockets of his pants.

“No, you just looked out of it. I'm almost done, thanks for not peeking.”

Zack had to laugh at that. He'd spent the last fifteen minutes wishing he could at least peek, not to mention other things.

“Well, I still need my head so…”

Sephya laughed and he joined her, but then she walked in front of him and the laughter died in his throat.

She was wrapped in a small white towel that covered the essentials and little else, and when she turned her back to him, he saw it.


	10. Special Chapter - Original Character Bios

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been focusing on this fanfic lately and thought I'd update it a bit faster since I got a bunch of chapters done. The character bios are an extra I had been meaning to share for a while but I'll post an actual chapter next week, so there will be two chapters instead of one this month :)

** Sephya Innes **

**Birthday:** November 16 (Scorpio)

**Age:** 19

**Appearance:** Light strawberry blond hair that reaches her hips, snow-white skin, jade green eyes, full, naturally rosy lips, lean, athletic build. Has a scar across her back that she refuses to let Aerith erase.

**Height:** 1,60 cm / 5’2’’

**Weight:** 48 kg / 108 pounds

**Hometown:** The Cetra were nomads, traveling regularly and living off the land, always seeking to nurture the planet and using their control over the lifestream veins to make the land fertile. Sephya only settled down after arriving in Midgar.

**Type of home/Neighborhood:** \----- 

**Relationship status:** Single.

**Current Family:** Aerith and Elmyra, adopted by Elmyra like Aerith.

**Friends:** Aerith, Sian (sort of), and Zack.

**Job:** SOLDIER 3rd class

**Dress style:** Simple and practical. Can’t stand on heels to save her life. Usually goes with shorts or skirts with black cotton shorts underneath, tank tops, sweatshirts, and T-shirts. Has a thing for sneakers and combat boots of a specific brand.

**Hobbies:** Training, helping Aerith tend to flowers, cooking.

**Favorite sports:** Doesn’t favor any.

**Favorite foods:** The chocolate cake Elmyra taught her how to make.

**Personality:** Reckless, confident, reliable, and straightforward. She has a martyr complex and can’t forgive herself for a past she had little control over. Doesn't let people in and refuses to get attached for fear of losing those she cares for. Finds comfort in and cherishes the small things, moments with family, cooking new things, helping Aerith tend to the flowers, teaching Aerith to fight with a staff. Is naive when it comes to love and intimacy and bad at making friends and getting close to people since she usually keeps to herself, not making an effort to be social. Is naturally wary of people, and doesn’t trust easily but is loyal and a bit overprotective.

**Ambitions:** Making sure Aerith lives a peaceful life, going down fighting for what she believes in, using her powers for the sake of life, not meaningless death.

**************************************

**Sian Alami**

**Birthday:** October 10 (Libra)

**Age:** 23

**Appearance:** Lustrous coal black hair with blue undertones, electric blue eyes, lips on the thinner side but naturally red with cupids bow shape, tall and elegant, with soft but sexy curves, pale skin and has a tendency to get dark circles under her eyes, uses concealer a lot.

**Height:** 1,70 cm / 5’6’’

**Weight:** 57 kg / 127 pounds

**Hometown:** Midgar, and has only left the city for research purposes.

**Type of home/Neighborhood:** Grew up in a safe, high-class neighborhood close to the Shinra building, still lives there.

**Relationship status:** Single.

**Current Family:** \-----

**Friends:** Zack, Angeal, Sephya (sort of), Sephiroth (sort of).

**Job:** Researcher at Shinra and doctor in charge of SOLDIER.

**Dress style:** Business casual, cigar pants, and long skirts, doesn’t like to show a lot of skin. Wears a lab coat most of the time so her clothes are usually covered. Favors dark colors and flat shoes or low heels.

**Hobbies:** Reading, jogging, writing short stories.

**Favorite sports:** Fishing, but doesn't get to do it often.

**Favorite foods:** Curry, but never has the patience to make it. Eats snacks and sandwiches and drinks way too much coffee, doesn’t want to waste time eating and making food. 

**Personality:** Direct, practical, and somewhat cold and aloof. Her curiosity often gets the better of her. Gets super excited and loses sight of everything else when she’s faced with something she’s interested in, like Sephya and her pure Cetra status. Smart and focused, hates wasting time, and often forgets to eat properly while immersed in her research. Reads super fast, can’t live without a good book to unwind with, and often neglects sleep. Has a hard time with feelings and opening up.

**Ambitions:** \-----

****************************************

**Alena Zaria**

**Birthday:** December 23 (Capricorn)

**Age:** 20

**Appearance:** Lustrous black hair, blue/green Mako eyes that were originally forest green and still are when the mako isn't active, full lips with defined cupid’s bow shape, lightly tanned skin, tall and curvy but fit from regular workouts.

**Height:** 1,72 cm / 5’6’’

**Weight:** 60 kg / 132 pounds

**Hometown:** Costa Del Sol.

**Type of home/Neighborhood:** Middle-class family, lived in a small house close to the beach.

**Relationship status:** Single, has had a small obsession with Zack for years.

**Current family:** Mother, father, and twin younger brothers back on Costa Del Sol.

**Friends:** Zack, sort of gets along with Genesis but they always end up fighting. 

**Job:** SOLDIER 2nd class, specializing in stealth missions, such as assassination and espionage.

**Dress style:** Wears the SOLDIER uniform while at work but hates the way it hides her figure. Favors sexy clothes, such as tight jeans, short skirts and dresses, cropped tops and shirts with cleavage in general. Knows her toned, curvy figure draws attention and likes it.

**Hobbies:** Working out, dancing, watching movies.

**Favorite sports:** Doesn’t favor any.

**Favorite foods:** Pancakes and has mastered the art of making them. Enjoys cooking from time to time but doesn’t know a lot of recipes. Is careful with her diet.

**Personality:** Harsh and missing a filter. Acts without thinking and speaks her mind without thinking a lot, too. Gets riled up too easily, deludes herself constantly, her latest project being her nonexistent relationship with Zack, and acts as if the realities in her head were also real outside of it. Doesn’t have any real 'evil' aspirations but her hotheadedness and rashness often lead her to do things that hurt others. Is a bit narcissistic and doesn’t like to admit she’s wrong. Cares deeply for her family and looks up to strong people, like Sephiroth and Angeal, Genesis too, if they weren't both shortsighted hotheads with no filters.

**Ambitions:** Becoming SOLDIER 1st class, getting famous and put on a pedestal, and dating Zack.


	11. Fighting A Losing Battle

Zack couldn't help but stare at Sephya's back, the skin smooth and luminous as a pearl, and almost too perfect to be real. Save for the slightly darker line cutting across her upper back, an old scar that had healed well but still left a mark. Seeing that scar on her back felt downright wrong, as if someone had damaged something sacred, something that shouldn't be touched let alone marked. But the damn thing was there and staring him in the face, whether he liked it or not. And he was surprised he hadn't noticed it before when he'd helped Sephya with first aid, the sports bra she had been wearing had probably covered most of it.

“Sephya, that…” Zack trailed off, trying to think of something to say and coming up empty.

Sephya opened her locker in silence and pulled out a pair of black denim shorts, a black tank top, and, Gaia help him, black boy shorts and a matching sports bra, then walked around the bench to stand out of Zack's line of sight.

“Does it bother you?” She whispered just as a towel landed on the bench beside Zack, sending his thoughts spiraling into the gutter.

_Eyes forward man, eyes forward. _Damn, he wanted to see and touch every inch of her. He might be in trouble.

“No, it just… caught me by surprise.” He paused and the silence pierced his ears. He had to ask. “How did you get it?”

Sephya sucked in a breath and Zack knew he'd asked for too much. Whatever had happened was traumatizing and would probably continue to be a fresh wound for as long as she lived. Being part of a military group and having participated in an ongoing war, Zack had come across similar situations before.

“It was… an unfortunate accident. I'll tell you more some other time.”

“Alright. Sorry, I… didn't mean to pry.”

Sephya's delicate hand slid over his shoulder and squeezed, the soothing touch making electricity course through Zack's veins. He glanced back on reflex and noticed she was dressed.

“It's fine, and you can relax now, I'm done.” She smiled when he frowned. “You were so tense, I could see it from across the room. I thought this kind of thing would be normal for you since… the changing rooms are for everyone.”

Zack pushed his hair back from his face with a hand. He had run into women in the changing room before, it happened, they were soldiers who didn't get to be picky about minor stuff like that. But it was different with Sephya, she made him want things he didn't want from anyone else.

Sure, he took his time admiring a pretty girl when he saw one, maybe even flirted a bit if he got the chance, but that was all superficial, just him being social and blowing off steam. Sephya was special. Ever since their “incident” in the infirmary, Zack couldn't stop wanting more, wanting to finish what they'd started and then some. The rush he felt with her was one of a kind, a dangerous drug, an addiction waiting to happen.

“Ah, yeah… I've had a few encounters in here, but no one ever asked me to stick around.”

Sephya gathered her hair into a high ponytail, flashing a knowing smile. “Guess not, uh? Sorry then.”

Zack held up his hands, not wanting her to think he'd hated the experience but also not sure it would be a good idea to reveal his true feelings on the matter. She was too innocent and might not even understand him, but he didn't want to risk overwhelming her with too much information. He wasn't even sure of his own feelings yet.

“It's alright, it didn't bother me. I’m glad you trust me to stick around.”

Sephya sat down on the bench beside Zack and pushed her small feet into her black combat boots. “I see… but this won't happen again, so don't worry.” She glanced at Zack as she started lacing up the boots, leaving them loose on purpose, and flashed a cheeky smile. “I wanted to keep you around so you didn't go off and do something stupid, like complain about my mock battle.”

Zack shook her head slowly and sighed. “Why am I not surprised…”

Sephya tapped him on the shoulder as she passed on her way to the door. “Suck it up and get moving. It's time.”

“Yes, ma'am. I want to be close when your reckless ass needs to be carried to the infirmary.”

Sephya chuckled as she opened the door and stepped out of the changing room. “Sorry, but I don't want you carrying my _ass_ anywhere. I'd rather crawl there.”

Zack sighed and looked up at the plain white ceiling, half-hoping to find Sephya's sense of self-preservation up there. Too bad that shit was lost in a maze not even the Goddess could make her way through...

“Why am I friends with people like you…”

*******************************************************************

It was time.

As Sephya walked into the control room, she saw Sian talking with professor Hojo next to a console riddled with lit-up buttons and blinking multicolored lights. Sian looked worried, her perfectly trimmed brows furrowed and full red lips pursed, but that was to be expected. She would have a lot of cleaning up to do after a mismatched battle like the one about to happen.

Alena was also in the room for some reason, leaning against one of the gray metal paned walls and staring at the matching floor. And of course Sephiroth, cool and huge as always, already standing on the other side of a thick glass wall where the battle would take place, giant sword in hand. Sian's eyes kept darting in his direction for some reason, but Hojo was too busy grinning at screens to notice. Weird interactions: check.

There were floating, digital letters in red in front of the glass door leading into the simulation room, informing that the thing was locked and could only be opened from the control room side of things. Awesome. Disaster waiting to happen: also check.

Hojo would probably let Sephya bleed out before he opened that door.

“Well, he's certainly ready,” Zack muttered as they walked in and the solid steel door slid shut behind them, nodding in Sephiroth's direction.

“I'd be more surprised if he wasn't,” Sephya answered, half distracted by thoughts of how she was supposed to get out of this with all limbs still attached and without looking like a softie.

“Sephya!” Sian's voice drew Sephya's eyes to the consoles and bright screens across the room. “Could you come over here a sec?”

Sephya nodded and sauntered over, sensing Zack trailing close behind as she moved.

The thought that he was there for her made her smile. Having him in the room made her feel better, like he wouldn't allow anything bad to happen or rush in to get her if she was in real trouble. She wasn't the type to rely on others for saving but she didn't have the luxury to deny help at the moment. Out of all the people in the cold, barren room, Zack was the only one she could consider an ally, and his presence alone was keeping Sephya's confidence from taking a nosedive into a pile of rocks.

“Hey doc, you here to help with the simulation? Drag me back in case I make a run for it?” Sephya asked as she approached, narrowing her eyes.

Sian crossed her arms and shook her head. “I'm here to save your ass after this whole thing goes south.”

Sephya glanced at the black numbers and letters scrolling by on the glowing blue screens, smirking. “Why is everyone talking about my ass today? I'm confident there will be more important parts in need of saving.”

Sian and Zack laughed, then Sian cleared her throat, making a fist in front of her lips.

“For once I agree with you. Regardless, are you sure you want to do this?”

Sephya nodded, determined, and reckless, to the bitter end. “I am, so let's get this over with.”

Sian sighed and tucked a lock of raven hair behind her ear, appearing resigned. “Alright. So here's how this is going to play out…”

Both Sian and Hojo took turns explaining the simulation and some ground rules, with Hojo's explanations sounding a lot less friendly and his expressions revealing he would fit right in at an insane asylum.

As it stood, Sephya and Sephiroth would be fighting in a simulation of the streets of Midgar, some kind of fountain plaza in the sector 8 area, which was both good and bad.

There would be a lot of room for maneuvering but Sephiroth knew the place better and his sword had more reach. If they ended up in a cramped corner, Sephya was done.

The battle was supposed to end if a serious injury was about to occur, meaning if Sephya was about to get her head sliced off, the simulation was set to crash and Sephiroth had orders to stop. But Sephya knew the simulation couldn't crash too suddenly without endangering the people in it, and there would be plenty of time for Hojo to slip some new orders to Sephiroth. Something along the lines of “make it look like an accident.”

That would be the critical moment, the one Sephya had to reserve her energy for. Either she defended herself during those decisive minutes before stuff crashed - or caused the crash herself - or she was leaving the room with a serious injury, maybe not leaving at all.

“So, did you get all that? We gave Sephiroth the same explanations, so you should both be on the same page. Your earpieces will allow us to communicate with you during the simulation, but there could be interference when you try to communicate with us, so keep that in mind.” Sian explained, the concern in her electric blue eyes confirming Sephya's fears.

Sephya shrugged, trying to appear more confident than she was in reality. Surrounding herself with an aura of weakness might make Sephiroth not take her seriously which might make the fight easier, but would be bad in the long run. Shinra would pounce on her and Aerith if Sephya didn't stand strong and keep them guessing about how far they could get if they went against her. She was a shield, albeit a shitty one. Her well being was secondary, shields were made for taking hits.

“We're fighting on his turf and calling for help or to report an error probably won't work. That about cover it?”

“Sure…” Sian sighed, glancing at Hojo to check his reaction.

Sephya glanced too but got nothing as usual. Of course, he wouldn't care either way. Even if Sephya described his plan in front of Zack and Sian, it would still happen. The stage was set, the actors were ready and there was no going back now. His expression showed just that, triumph.

Sephya was going to enjoy seeing it all crumble around him.

“Well, here I go. Wish me luck guys.” Sephya deadpanned, giving an over the shoulder wave as she made her way to the reinforced glass door leading to the area where the simulation would take place.

Sephiroth remained stone-faced and still as a mountain as she walked into the empty room, with reinforced steel floors and walls, thick red and black cables etched into the metal and protected by thick glass. It was a room designed to take beatings without falling apart, but if the damage got to a certain point, the simulation would crash. Sephya had heard that from Zack and was keeping it in mind in case of an emergency. It wouldn't be hard for Sephiroth to trash the room in seconds, given the right incentive.

Sephya stood across the room from Sephiroth and extended her scythe, taking a deep breath, and making sure all her muscles were good and ready to spring into action. She'd even done a few warm-up exercises before leaving the locker room, and some stretches with Zack's help. Members of SOLDIER weren't prone to sprained ankles or the like but better safe than sorry.

“I'm going to start the simulation, get ready you two,” Sian said directly into Sephya's ear, and soon after the room began to change before Sephya's eyes.

The metal walls shifted and warped, their smooth texture changing to rough red brick as a large round fountain rose from the floor between Sephya and Sephiroth, with water circulating through it and everything. Buildings surfaced all around, towering high, and streetlamps blinked on as a dark sky stretched overhead, the fake full moon obscured by clouds. The sound of water rushing rang in Sephya's ears, anchoring her to the moment, a filter between her and the rest of the world. The whole thing was an elaborate magic trick and Sephya was awestruck for a moment, watching the textures change and bright neon signs with a multitude of colors spring to life all around.

Sephiroth wasn't so impressed.

Before Sephya could take her eyes off the slice of city shifting and growing around her, Sephiroth appeared in front of her, his face inches from hers, his feline eyes cold and calculating.

Knowing she was in trouble, Sephya sprung off the floor, jumping high and back, rotating in the air before landing some distance away from her opponent. Unaffected by the last-minute dodge, Sephiroth moved with easy, well-practiced movements, flowing through the room like water, wasting no more energy than necessary. A deadly force of nature with point-blank precision. All that while Sephya had just blown a ton of stamina on a single unnecessary long jump. Off to a great start.

Sephiroth was on her again in seconds, blade ready to deliver a flurry of heavy blows that would leave Sephya's arms numb if she tried to block.

Calming her mind and focusing, Sephya blocked the first hard strike, their weapons clanging and screeching loud enough to make the ears ring, then put all her strength into pushing Sephiroth back, using a bit of fire magic to create a small explosion that forced her opponent to take a step back. Taking advantage of the opening, she leaped over his head and slashed in an arc as she landed, grazing his black coat as he dodged her attack.

There was no time to catch her breath or commemorate the fact that she'd sliced his clothes, Sephiroth was rushing at her even as her feet touched the floor, sending shock waves flying in her direction and forcing her to drain her stamina with a succession of high-speed sidesteps and backflips.

Two could play at that game though, and as Sephya rolled away from the last shock wave, she sent a few of her own flying in Sephiroth's direction, slashing fast at the air in front of her as she sprung to her feet. Sephiroth dispelled the shock waves with a forward slash of his massive sword and advanced, calm and collected as if the whole battle was as tiring as sipping his coffee in the morning.

“Great…” Sephya muttered as she jumped onto the balcony of an apartment building, then onto the flat rooftop of a coffee shop from there. “Let's see how you do against this.”

Concentrating and trying to waste as little mana as possible, Sephya conjured ten fireballs that spread out around her, then shot them at Sephiroth as she rushed forward, ready to strike. He slashed at the fireballs, dispelling them as they came, and just as Sephya was about to reach him, she conjured a few more that circled behind him, forcing him to split his attention between her and the magic.

His reaction was fast but so was she. The blade of her scythe connected with his sword hand, slashing across the back of it, just as she'd planned.

His grip didn't loosen but he paused to examine the damage, his lips parting slightly as if he was about to speak. When his eyes turned back to Sephya, they were narrowed and even colder than before, but his lips were twisted into a menacing smile.

Biting her lower lip, Sephya leaped back onto the roof of the coffee shop, taking a moment to catch her breath while Sephiroth raged, or had a party in his head, she couldn't tell which.

“Your tricks won't help you here. Give up before you get hurt.” He said, his voice strong and clear. The deep rumble would have been attractive, if not for the fact that he was trying to kill her.

“What makes you so sure I'm going to lose? You're the one with the bleeding hand.” Sephya taunted, knowing she was being a reckless idiot but unable to help it.

Sephiroth smirked and slashed across the air in front of him, shaking off the blood covering the back of his hand. The movement would have stunned a normal person but he was far from normal.

“Shall we get serious then?”

His confident but icy smile made Sephya uncomfortable.

“What do you mean? I've been serious this whole time.”

She was bluffing and he knew it, but might as well try to preserve the charade.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

Sephiroth looked down for a second and chuckled. “So be it then.”

When he looked back up, Sephya had no time to catch her breath.


	12. Curious Exploration

Sephya was holding her own in the simulation, but for how long? Zack could see she was getting tired, despite trying her best to save her strength for the end. Sephiroth was a wall of stamina and raw skill that no one could stand up to so far, and Sephya was no exception. She was panting, her strikes had little weight behind them and her usual acrobatic jumps were weaker, reduced to last second, barely made it rolls and sidesteps.

She was going to fall, no doubt about it. It was only a matter of when. The fact that she had got a hit in on him was a miracle in and of itself.

“How much longer do you think she'll last?” Alena asked, appearing beside Zack and almost startling him thanks to her habit of hiding her presence.

“You interested in how this turns out now?” He asked back, somewhat bitter since Alena had made sure to announce her desire to see Sephya lose and get put in her place.

He hadn't known about that side of Alena's personality before Sephya had joined SOLDIER, hadn’t believed the rumors about her bad temper and frequent fights and arguments with colleagues of the female variety. Now he wasn’t so sure anymore, and it appeared that she had feelings for him, which would have been fine if she could just deal with them without causing trouble for everyone around her. As it stood, Zack wasn't sure if Alena wanted to date him or lock him in her bedroom and chain him to her bed for good measure, just to make sure no one else could get between her and what she wanted.

“I was just asking, don't bite my head off. But come on, we both know this is just a matter of time.” Alena retorted, holding up her hands.

Zack sighed and crossed his arms, keeping his eyes on the one-sided struggle unfolding on the other side of the reinforced glass wall.

“What's your point, Alena?”

Alena shrugged. “Nothing, just wanted to know how much you're expecting of her here. That man is a monster, she's not getting out of there in one piece.”

Zack opened his mouth to voice his disagreement, along with the murder spree he would go on if something happened to Sephya, but a long sigh from Sian stopped him and drew his attention to her as she pressed a hand to her forehead. 

“This girl… what does she think she's doing, taunting Sephiroth?”

“Wait, she's doing what?!” Zack, who had not been outfitted with an earpiece asked, his interest piqued.

“Well, she's dead.” Alena deadpanned as Sian slowly shook her head.

“She's tired, she's used too much mana and she's taunting.” Before Zack could reply, Sian marched to the center of the small control room, a woman on a mission, leaving Zack and Alena between her and an elated professor Hojo, rubbing his chin and staring at Sephya with an eerie grin. “Sephiroth, this is Sian. If you can hear me, I need that girl alive and functioning. I don't know what professor Hojo has told you, but she's a unique Cetra, we can't let anything happen to her.”

Zack heard Sian's whispered request and understood why she had moved away. Though he didn't understand what she was talking about. What the hell was a Cetra?

On the other side of the glass, Sephiroth faltered and glanced in Sian's direction. They couldn't see the control room during the simulation but Sephiroth could probably sense their presence and guess general locations. Zack thought he saw his lips moving as he rushed to meet Sephya's attack, and Sian returned to her post close to the glowing screens.

Zack found himself hoping Sian's plea had got through to the powerful SOLDIER 1st class. He couldn't wait to see Sephya walk out of that room, to see her beside him again, smiling, and safe.

***************************************************************

Sephya was officially in trouble.

She still had a few tricks up her sleeve but even those would only help her last a few minutes longer. The mana she'd depleted was already weakening her body, making her mind fuzzy and her movements sluggish.

Sephya defended against yet another onslaught of slashes from Sephiroth, feeling the power of the blows in her bones that would have been shattered if she were a normal person, or maybe the disabling, sharp pain she was feeling meant her bones were already done for. Her arms went numb for a few seconds and she noticed the numbness wasn't fading as much now that she'd taken more damage. The pain was taking over, almost too strong to bear.

“Dammit, he's big but he's fast too… Just how overpowered is this guy?” She whispered to herself as she jumped over the fountain to get some much needed breathing room, splashing cold water all over her clothes, and exposed skin.

She'd managed to cut Sephiroth's hand with a lot of effort, but he'd already got her back for that. She had a gash on her thigh and a few on her right arm, which was great when she was right-handed. It was time. She would be on the receiving end of a serious injury soon, the simulation was set to crash. She had to pool her strength into a last-minute counter, make things dangerous for both of them, corner Hojo into saving her as a result of saving his precious war hero as well.

Just as she had predicted, Sephiroth moved in for the kill. His sword clashed with her scythe in a loud metallic clang and they both jumped back, but he rushed forward before Sephya could recover from the staggering blow. She tried to do a backflip and get some distance but Sephiroth's sword cut her side, just below the ribs. The sudden pain stunned her and she fell on her ass, landing hard on the dark, cobblestone floor.

There was no time to get back up, Sephiroth loomed over her, ready to strike. _It's now or never. _

Gathering all the mana she had left, Sephya cast the most powerful magic she could manage. Flare was the most powerful fire spell Sephya knew of, but it would also leave her empty. Not that that was any worse than getting run through by Sephiroth's Masamune.

The air began to heat up as the spell took effect, the temperature rising fast and stifling the atmosphere, making it hard to breathe. It was like standing in a giant oven and since Sephiroth was so close, there was a chance Sephya would damage herself as well as him. Too bad.

As the room heated to nearly unbearable levels, Sephiroth realized what was happening and moved to attack. Sephya parried his attack, slashing and rolling back. It was tough to cast and fight at the same time, and the spell faltered for a second before she could concentrate.

Orbs of what was basically molten lava floated in the air around Sephiroth, and Sephya was glad she had got some distance. The sheer heat from the spell was enough to cook a normal human alive.

Sephiroth attempted to strike the orbs down but the flames clung to his silvery sword as they converged into a larger globe of concentrated fire. Sephya faltered, glad she was kneeling on the floor as she almost passed out, biting her lip until warm blood trickled down her chin when pain racked her body. She couldn't afford to heed her body's warning, she had to keep the spell going for a bit longer.

The simulation was already beginning to crash, the buildings and neon signs dissolving into data, noise interfering with the areas where the room itself had taken damage. Sephiroth rid himself of the flames as the simulation came to an end, the room returned to its normal metallic reality, and Sephya breathed a sigh of relief.

It was humbling to see a spell as powerful as flare had done little damage to Sephiroth. His clothes were singed here and there, parts of his hands were scorched, the black gloves all but burned to shreds, but he brushed it off like it was nothing.

“How?”

“Uh?”

Sephiroth's dark, rumbling voice brought Sephya's eyes up from the cold steel floor. She was already drifting in and out of consciousness, unable to focus her gaze on anything.

“Where did you get the materia for that magic?”

Sephya tried to answer but her voice failed, a hoarse croak coming out instead, and she had to take a deep breath to steady herself. “I didn't. I can just cast it.”

“That's impossible.”

“It isn't actually,” Sian said as she entered the room, closely followed by a poker-faced Professor Hojo.

Zack ran in soon after, kneeling beside Sephya when he reached her.

“Sephya!”

Sephya managed a smile despite the pain flaring all over her body. “Hey, Zack. Do I look as bad as I think?”

Zack gave a weak laugh, looking her over with fearful wide eyes. “Sort of… but remind me not to mess with you.”

Sephya chuckled. “Yeah…” And then it was lights out for her.

************************************************************

“She has a high fever and her wounds won't close, the bones in her forearms are shattered and I'm running out of ideas.” Sian ranted as she paced around the infirmary, chewing on her nails. Zack felt like killing something. “How was she even absorbing his blows with her arms in that state? If we don't get her to someone with powerful healing magic, she's going to die. I can't do anything.”

Zack remained silent for a moment, watching Sephya's chest rise and fall as she struggled to breathe. Her lips were pale, yellowish purple bruises had bloomed all over her forearms, there were dark circles under her eyes, and she was looking more and more like a corpse.

Zack was getting tired of seeing his new colleague and friend on the brink of death. After everything he'd seen so far, he was sure Sephya was just searching for an early grave. She kept putting herself in harm's way without a second thought, used magic despite knowing the danger of the side effects, and most of all, she didn't care. She was brave but her instinct of self-preservation was severely lacking and often turned her bravery into full-blown, idiotic recklessness.

It was obvious in the way she talked and moved, in the rash decisions she made. She had been through hell in the past, Zack understood that despite not knowing what had happened, and he knew that she had become numb as a result of her experiences. Her feelings were dulled, she didn't care if she lived or died, she saw herself as a monster that shouldn't be allowed to live. But what about the people around her? Didn't she care how much she hurt them? Did she truly have nothing left worth living for? He found that hard to believe. There had to be something or someone out there fueling her iron will, giving her strength to keep fighting and putting her life on the line.

“Do you know anyone who can help?”

“I do but… I can't take her there and Sephya doesn't want you to know the place exists.”

“Why not?” Zack asked, tapping his foot hard against the white tiled floor and running a hand through his black hair.

Sian pushed a hand through her hair as well. It was obvious she was tired but she was determined to keep Sephya alive. Zack was thankful for that, but after Sephiroth had obviously ignored her, he wasn't sure how much Sian could be relied on.

“The one with the healing magic is a friend of hers and she doesn't want anyone else from Shinra getting close to her.”

“Again, why not?”

Sian let out a long sigh. “It's complicated.”

“Try me.”

“I can't.”

Zack shot up from the uncomfortable office chair he'd been sitting on for an eternity and threw his hands up. “Fine, whatever. Just tell me where the place is and I'll drop her off there, I don't need to know anything. This isn't the time to be worrying about secrets, she's dying. Her secrets won't matter once she's gone.”

“You've got a point there… But why do you care so much?”

Zack recoiled for a second, caught off guard by the sudden question. He wasn't sure himself why he cared so much, he'd only known Sephya for a few days, and it was just part of his nature to care. He liked her, maybe a bit too much, but he wasn't crazy in love or anything. Maybe he just didn't want to watch someone suffer when he could do something to help. He'd joined SOLDIER to become a hero and help people, after all.

“Does that matter right now?” He couldn't say he didn't care, and he couldn't say he was in love. If there was an in-between, he was probably there.

Sian shrugged. “I guess not. So here's where you have to go…”

Zack listened to Sian for what felt like a century, memorizing the directions she gave him and the warnings to not be followed and be careful of monsters. As if he'd never stepped foot in the slums before.

Eager to get Sephya to someone capable of saving her, Zack slid an arm under her knees and one under her ribs, lifting her small, lightweight body with ease. She moaned in discomfort and her head came to rest against his shoulder, her hands folded over her chest.

She was wearing an oversized white T-shirt Zack had found in his locker and given to Sian so she could get Sephya out of her ripped, bloody clothes. Blood from the persisting cuts was already soaking through the fabric though, and she kept shivering thanks to the fever, reminding Zack of just how much she was hanging on by a thread.

“I'll call you if something happens, and text you if everything's fine,” Zack said to Sian as he turned to leave the infirmary.

Sian nodded, her eyes shiny with unshed tears and lips drawn in a thin line as she glanced at Sephya's mostly unconscious form in Zack's arms. So he wasn't the only one who cared too much, Sian was hiding something. And she had something big to lose. Just as Zack turned to ask Sian to open the door for him, the thing opened by itself and Sephiroth took a step into the room, stopping right after as if hitting an invisible wall.

“What's wrong with her? I didn't hit hard enough to leave a member of SOLDIER in that state.”

Zack glared at his superior. “You sure about that?”

Sephiroth remained stone-faced, uncaring. “Yes, actually.”

“Are you for real!? She's dying!” Zack yelled, his patience snapping.

Sephya moaned again and stirred a bit, but it didn't look like she could even open her eyes.

“Calm down, Zack, he really didn't hurt her that much. She's like that because of the unstable mana.” Sian said, her tired voice sounding hoarse.

“Mana?” Sephiroth asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Long story…” Sian loosed a long sigh and rubbed her eyes with her thumb and middle finger. “Get going, Zack, she's not getting any better and the clock is ticking. We'll talk later.”

Knowing Sian was right despite wishing he could yell at Sephiroth some more, Zack nodded and left the infirmary, walking to the elevator as fast as he could without shaking Sephya too much.

As he made his way through the streets of sector 8, headed to the train station, he drew a lot of attention to himself. A member of SOLDIER in uniform, carrying a half-naked, bloodied woman through the city was an unusual sight after all. No one tried to stop him though, and when he reached the slums he no longer had to worry about prying eyes. Just monsters trying to turn him into a pincushion.

He couldn't fight them off properly with Sephya in his arms, and setting her down would turn her into a target, so he was left with dodging and the occasional kick. Sephya wasn't happy with the bumpy ride. Her breathing became more ragged and she kept moaning, the delicate features of her face twisting in pain. Zack could do nothing to ease her suffering and wished he could let his frustration out on the spiky monsters he kept having to run from.

“Z-Zack…”

The soft, hoarse sound of Sephya’s voice calling his name almost made him trip over his own feet. They were no longer being chased by monsters and he could hear water in the distance, signaling they were getting close to the place Sian had pointed him to. To the sector 5 undercity and a pure stream flowing into the city from somewhere beyond its walls.

Wanting to make sure they were safe, Zack looked around and stopped walking when he didn't spot any threats.

“I'm here, Sephya, how are you feeling?”

Sephya's eyes opened halfway and Zack noticed they were glowing green. The mako in her body was active, trying to help repair the damage. And failing.

“I-I'm…” Her voice cracked and she tried to move one of her bruised hands, wincing in pain as she lifted it. “Mana… yours. Won't make it, like this…”

Zack's eyes flew open as the memory of giving mana to Sephya flared in his mind. He hadn't even thought of that.

“That would help?”

Sephya nodded, her eyelids fluttering closed as her chest rose and fell with her erratic breathing.

Gritting his teeth, Zack glanced around in search of a place where they could stop that wasn’t so out in the open. He spotted an alcove formed by large pieces of rubble, the remnants of some long-forgotten ruined brick building, and rushed to it before more monsters decided to make an entrance.

The cracked dirt ground was littered with dead flowers and random small rubble. Zack winced when he thought of Sephya’s bare legs touching that mess, so he sat down in a corner instead and cradled her in his arms. She looked so small and frail as she clung to him, the lightweight of her head on his shoulder, strawberry blond hair tousled and clinging to her forehead and cheeks, slender body shivering. It was a humbling sight, how even someone with as much power as Sephya was still just a frail human, not some invincible monster as she had led herself to believe.

“Sephya, we’re safe here for now. You can do ah… whatever it was you did that time…” Zack whispered, cheeks warming when he thought of the way he’d touched her then, how he had burned for her ever since.

Sephya’s eyes opened again, the green glow made even eerier by the tears welling and almost overflowing. Zack assumed she was crying from the pain and his heart seized, but then she spoke.

“I guess I wished… deep down, for this to be different…” Zack frowned as she brought a hand up to caress his cheek, the cold touch shaky and feather-light.

She pressed her lips to his before he could say anything, pulling his head down with a hand on the back of his neck. It was impressive how she could do that with a shattered arm, but Zack couldn't dwell on that when he felt her lips.

It wasn’t anything like he had imagined, she was hurt and cold and even her breath carried the scent of blood, but instant lust burned him from the inside out. She wasn’t kissing him because she loved or even desired him, Zack knew that, but he didn’t care.

He threaded his fingers in her silky hair and held her head in place as he deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue over her lower lip. She moaned softly, turning his blood into liquid fire, and her hand slid down from his neck, moving down until her palm was pressed to his chest, over his heart.

Zack felt the dip in his energy as mana permeated the air between them, an invisible vibration distorting the space around them. His power flowed into Sephya, reducing the density of the charged air, and all but bringing her back from the dead. Her lips no longer felt cold or cracked, but soft and warm, and her irregular breathing steadied.

She returned his kiss while she took what she needed, her lips clumsy and warm, her wet tongue darting out and retreating, uncertain. Zack got hard as a rock in an instant, his free hand going to her lean legs as he explored her mouth, sliding up the smooth skin of her thigh and finding the elastic waistband of her underwear under the baggy white T-shirt.

The fact that she was wearing _his _T-shirt, absorbing _his _mana, that his smell, his very energy were all over her, was intoxicating. He wanted more, wanted her to be his in every possible way, and that thought struck him like a slap to the face because he had never been the possessive type. He’d never even been in a long, serious relationship, sort of, and now he was hoping he was the first and last man to touch Sephya, because it was either that or crushing any asshole who got too close to her.

His mind too clouded by lust for any kind of logical thought to remain (and tell him he was way out of line), Zack hooked his fingers on the elastic waistband of Sephya’s cotton boy shorts and had barely even pulled when she broke the kiss and covered his face with a cold, vaguely sweaty palm. He stilled, his body cooling in an instant, sky blue eyes wide and heartbeat quickening. His mind raced as he returned to his senses, a cold sweat breaking out all over his heated body. What the hell had he been about to do to a girl hanging onto life by a thread? To a girl he knew next to nothing about and insisted on keeping everyone at arm's length?

“Please stop, don’t make me use magic again… I can’t…” She trailed off, the raging green glow fading from her eyes as her lids grew heavy, almost fluttering closed a few times.

Her hand slid from Zack’s face as she lost the strength to hold it up, the bruised arm flopping to her lap. Her body felt warmer and color had returned to her cheeks, but she was still slipping away, and fear seized Zack’s heart in a freezing vice grip.

“Sephya? Hey, hang on!” He shook her gently, hoping to keep her awake. She groaned and leaned her head on his chest, tucking into herself in his arms as her lids finally dropped. Zack didn’t curse often, he was from the countryside where everyone knew everyone and judged everyone, and his parents had been ruthless when it came to language. They were also super nice, so he had kind of grown-up following in their footsteps. Personality wise. But he'd changed a bit since coming to Midgar.

Watching Sephya suffer in his arms, the string of curses going through Zack's head would be enough to make a whole group of sailors blush.

“Fuck…” He muttered simply as he stood, biting his lip until he tasted blood. “You’re not dying on me, I won’t let you.”

Holding Sephya close, hoping his warmth would seep into her, he jogged the rest of the way to the house by the water Sian had told him about, to the only place in Midgar where the flowers fought for survival against the concrete and metal jungle.

Despite being in a hurry, he was careful with his steps, not wanting to find out the hard way if shaking Sephya in her current state was bad. He knew he was getting close to his destination when he saw red, white, and yellow flowers, lush green grass and ivy growing wherever they could, coating crumbling brick walls and rusted tin roofs; heard the soft babbling and burbling of water, the swishing of a waterfall as it tumbled over rocks on its way down the mountain, and felt the sweet, fresh smell of flowers and nature in his nose.

The place was a gem in a forest of junk, a glittering jewel, a breath of fresh air in a city where there was none to be had. It was imperfect yet perfect, and it was obvious the people living there had done their best to make the place feel welcoming and homey. Their own little slice of paradise.

Plants grew on the sides of a dirt path leading to a picturesque wood cottage with worn red roof tiles, free to seek precious rays of sunlight without being trampled by boots or tires. Makeshift wood bridges completed two paths leading to the other side of the small aqua/green stream, where more flowers thrived, creeping up and over abandoned metal beams and pipes losing the war against nature and growing rusty.

As he approached the house, Zack noticed someone in a white and pink summer dress leaning on the wood railing around the balcony that topped the weathered roof. Her chocolate brown hair and the pink ribbon tying it fluttered as she pushed away from the railing and ran to the door leading back into the top floor of the house, throwing it open with a desperation Zack could understand.

Minutes later, just as Zack was reaching the double doors adorned with yellow and green flower wreaths, the thing opened by itself and a beautiful girl with emerald green eyes and milky skin almost ran into him and Sephya.

“What happened!?” She all but screamed in Zack’s face, hostility clear on her full lips drawn thin and narrowed eyes.

“I’m here to help, er… sort of. I heard there was someone here who can help her.” Zack explained, making an effort to sound calm and pacifying while his heart tried to beat its way out of his chest, run back to the Shinra building, and punch Sephiroth and Hojo all by itself. Maybe give Sian a shove, too.

“You’re from Shinra, who—” The girl whispered to herself, then shook her head, cutting herself off. “Follow me, and summarize what happened while we walk.”

She turned before Zack could answer and motioned for him to follow. He had intended to leave Sephya and make himself scarce as Sian had advised, maybe lurk for a bit, be his best creepy stalker self, but the pretty, bossy girl seemed cool with him sticking around so who was he to say no?

“Yes, ma'am.” He deadpanned as he entered the house and pushed the door closed with his boot.

The girl chuckled at his remark and glanced over her shoulder, examining him from head to foot. Zack cocked an eyebrow but said nothing as he followed the elegant girl up a set of dark wood stairs.

**********************************************************

Sephya’s body was burning and everything around her was bathed in inky black darkness. Her heart hammered her ribs, slowing little by little as energy flowed through her, over her, soaking the air around her. It was fresh and revitalizing, a warm spring breeze, cool water from a crystal clear stream gathered in cupped hands. It eased the pain as it washed over her weary body, lulling her back to the world of the living with a sweet siren song.

Darkness still reigned when Sephya opened her eyes, but not as much as it had in her mind. She was lying on a soft bed, covered by a warm wool blanket and silvery moonlight/dimmed lamplight filtered into the familiar room through a triangular window on the wall beside the bed. The dark wood door was also open a crack, and comforting yellow light split the darkness as it seeped in from the small hallway outside.

Soft breathing drew Sephya’s eyes to a chair facing the middle of her bed, to the big man who had to be uncomfortable. The chair was way too small for him. The way he hunched forward, pouty lips slightly parted, spiky dark hair falling forward, brushing his cheeks, made Sephya smile.

He’d brought her home, he hadn’t deserted her like so many others. And she’d become a burden once again, for even more people. In her quest for redemption – for an early grave, really – in her efforts to set Aerith free and not involve her in her shit show of a life anymore, Sephya had gone full circle and ended up right back in square one. A reckless idiot who yearned to do the right thing and be a better person, but kept making bad choices instead.

_ You would have been better off leaving me to die… _

Sephya’s eyes drank in the sight of the man who had helped her so many times already, not caring if they were basically strangers who owed each other nothing. His strong arms were crossed, rising and falling with his steady breathing, the toned, hard muscles bulging, and Sephya could tell the fog of sleep over him was faint. He was still alert to an extent, and his sword was propped against the bed, close enough to wield in seconds if necessary, the sharp blade gleaming silver as the moonlight fell upon it.

_ I wished… for this to be different... _The memory was a puzzle with missing pieces, full of holes, but it was there. It came to life in Sephya’s mind, the colors growing more vibrant, the sensations echoing, making her skin break out in goosebumps as her mind sought to replicate the images going through it. The longer her eyes remained trained on Zack, the clearer everything became.

She had been dying, really dying, her unfortunate life playing on fast forward before her eyes like the trailer to the world’s most depressing movie. But something inside her had refused to let go, the pure life force coursing through Zack’s body had become the center of her world, a surging, pulsing pillar of jade and white.

And she had taken it into herself, again. She had pressed her cold lips to his warm ones and clung to life with everything she had.

For Aerith, no.

For Elmyra, no.

For Zack, no.

For redemption, no.

For herself. Because she had craved more. Because a part of her had craved more time with the man holding her in his strong arms.

His kiss had been sweet, warm, and gentle. Then become urgent and possessive as his hands wandered her body, leaving blazing trails in their wake. She had stopped it out of fear but nothing had ever made her feel so alive. Nothing other than fighting and harsh training. And physical exertion couldn't hold a candle to Zack’s hands and lips.

A wave of heat soaked Sephya from head to foot as the fog lifted from the memory and she discovered what it was like to become aroused. Her nipples hardened and pressure built in her pelvis as blood rushed to the special place between her thighs, warming it and making it throb with desire. For the first time in her life, every cell in her body was on high alert for reasons other than self-preservation.

She couldn't stop her hands from wandering as she turned to lie on her side on the somewhat creaky bed. She found she was no longer wearing Zack’s T-shirt and felt momentarily disappointed. She somehow liked the idea of wearing his clothes, it made her feel closer to him. Which could be a problem all by itself but she was too tired – and apparently horny – to care.

One of her hands slid down her body, over the unimpressive swell of her breasts and the flat, hard planes of her stomach, and snuck under the waistband of her cotton pajama shorts, the exploration fueled by curiosity. She found no other barrier of fabric between her hand and her smooth, slick sex under the shorts, and pressed two uncertain, shaky fingers to her core. The light contact sent a jolt of liquid pleasure coursing through her body, making her shudder. She took a moment to recover – and to check if Zack was still asleep – before trying again, eager to discover more of her newfound pleasure.

Relieved to see Zack still set to off mode, Sephya touched herself again, keeping her eyes trained on him and telling herself it was just to make sure she didn’t get caught.

Yeah right.

Looking at him made her body burn in a good way and her fingers slipped on something slightly sticky when she pressed them harder to her sex. She whimpered as a shock of pleasure bordering on pain echoed inside her body, causing her inner walls to contract around nothing. Zack groaned and stirred, the flimsy wood chair creaking in protest under his weight, and Sephya forgot how to breathe for a moment.

“Please don’t wake up… ah..” She breathed, unable to stop her fingers, drowning in a numbing pleasure she had never known before.

The slippery liquid coating her fingers increased as she moved, rubbing in slow circles at first, then sliding up and down a bit faster, spreading the growing wetness and dipping the tip of her middle finger into the heat of her clenching insides.

Worried about waking Zack, she pulled up the neckline of her pajama T-shirt and trapped the fabric between her teeth in an effort to drown out the odd feminine mewls escaping through her parted lips. It worked to an extent, but when her eyes searched for Zack again, they met with a piercing sky blue stare. Her mouth opened when she gasped and the cotton T-shirt escaped her bite as she snapped her hand out of her shorts.

Maybe he hadn’t noticed. The blanket covering her was thin but it wasn’t sticking too close to her body and the room was dark. He’d just seen her bite her T-shirt and make weird sounds. She could just say she was in pain or uncomfortable.

“Zack, I-”

“Keep going.” He ordered before she could finish her excuse, his voice deep and husky. Sexy.

Hearing him made Sephya wish she _could_ keep going, maybe tell him to whisper things in her ear while she did it, too. The throbbing was so intense she had to squeeze her thighs together.

“What do you mean?”

Zack moved instead of answering.


	13. Moment Of Insanity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for this chapter! I kept it light (as much as I could), but there are mentions of attempted rape with underage characters. It's nothing too explicit, but it might still be upsetting, hence the warning. 
> 
> That said, I hope the chapter is still fun to read, it's one of my favorites. Tough to write, but I like how it turned out :)

Moaning, Sephya was moaning. And damn if it wasn’t the sweetest, most intoxicating sound ever.

Her voice was feminine but a bit deep when she spoke, but when she moaned it became husky and somehow vulnerable. It fit her delicate features perfectly but contrasted with her no-nonsense personality, and Zack ached to see what she looked like when she felt pleasure. It took everything he had to stay still and he had to adjust himself to hide a raging hard-on, but he wanted to hear her a bit more. It would all come to an end if he opened his eyes.

All it took to break him was a slightly louder moan.

His eyes flew open and instantly landed on her. She was biting her T-shirt – and damn him for seeing well in the dark – her lips were flushed red and her jade eyes were hazy and half-lidded. His cock twitched as if it trying to break through his pants and he gritted his teeth.

She tried to feed him some kind of excuse and he ordered her to keep going. He didn’t know what came over him but he didn’t care. The scent of her sex, of _her_, permeated the air in the small room. It was similar to the flowers outside the house, to a breeze in a verdant plain. Fresh, natural, earthy, and lightly sweet. Unique.

Zack considered himself a decent guy. Polite, honest, somewhat good at respecting boundaries, not too much of a player, hard-working. But he was still just a human man, with limits to his self-control. And whatever it was he felt for Sephya was too strong to resist.

He stopped trying to hold himself back when she decided to keep lying. Without saying a word, he got on top of her on the bed. The old wood frame creaked in protest under their combined weight as Sephya turned to lie on her back, facing him. Her hands emerged from the blanket covering her legs and half her belly, and Zack could smell her arousal on her fingers. It made his head spin with lust and his cock throb.

He pressed his lips to hers and a low growl vibrated out of his mouth.

_ Mine_.

She pressed her dainty palms to his pecs and tried to push him back when he licked her lips, coaxing her to part them, but her heart refused to back up her actions. Her hands ended up on his tense, bulging biceps as his tongue invaded her mouth, exploring every corner, taking everything she had to give and demanding more. She moaned and he kissed her harder, captured her lower lip between his teeth, and swirled his tongue around hers before teasing it with gentle strokes.

“Tell me you want me, Sephya.” Zack breathed, his kiss stung lips brushing hers.

Sephya shook her head and he kissed her long and deep, slanting his lips over hers and dipping his tongue in and out of her mouth. They both gasped for air when he broke the kiss.

_ You’re mine, you just don’t know it yet._

“Do you want me to stop kissing you?”

Sephya froze for a moment, eyes wide and downy red lips pulled between straight, white teeth. She swallowed hard, then slowly shook her head.

Zack knew he was pushing her and could tell she wasn’t acting like herself. She was scared, maybe a bit in shock even, but she was also aroused and it was obvious she wanted him as much as he wanted her. And he wasn't enough of a saint to ignore the lust in her bright jade eyes, or the way she arched into him when they kissed. Right now, he wanted her and she wanted him, and that was it.

“I… I like your kisses…” She whispered, refusing to meet his eyes.

Zack had to smile at that, at her bashful, reluctant admission. She was making him want to eat her up.

“Then tell me,” Zack whispered in her ear after moving to lie down beside her, brushing locks of hair away from her neck and trailing feather-light kisses along her silky skin. “Tell me you want me to touch you more.”

She mewled, arching her back off the mattress when he moved his fingers down the front of her neck, between her perky breasts and over her flat stomach.

“I-” She moaned louder when he snaked his hand under her T-shirt, finding the soft swell of her breasts with the pads of his fingers, and he covered her lips with his to muffle her cries of pleasure.

“You were saying?” He asked, flashing a cheeky smile after breaking the kiss, relieved that she had got her voice under control. Waking everyone else up wasn't part of the plan.

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. He moved his hand higher and cupped her right breast, causing her to bite her lip while holding back moans that turned to whimpers.

Her breasts were on the small side, Zack had noticed before, but they felt perfect in his hand. The round shape, the soft but still firm feel, the small nipples that hardened under his palm.

Groaning, he kissed and nipped Sephya’s neck when she arched into his touch, encouraging him without words. He was so hard it almost hurt, but his one rational brain cell stopped him from taking things too far. She was obviously inexperienced and he was in no state to be gentle.

“Zack…” She breathed, caressing his cheek and looking into his eyes, drowning him in a sea of pale jade and emerald mako glow that made him swallow hard. “Kiss me, and touch me more.”

Boom, one rational brain cell burned to death. The buzzkill would not be missed, and Zack was about to lose it.

*********************************************************

Sephya’s body felt hot and hypersensitive, and her mind was swimming, unable to focus thanks to the constant stream of sensations previously unknown to her.

She should have been terrified, screaming hers and Zack’s ears off, maybe burning the house down if she panicked, but she was excited instead. She couldn't get enough of Zack’s lips and hands all over her, grinding her thighs together as the throbbing in her core intensified and even asking Zack for more. She was definitely going insane. But she wasn’t about to care, not now. Not while she was drowning in his warm affections and hoping it would last forever.

Zack’s lips found hers again, brushing softly at first, then pressing closer as his tongue darted out to meet hers. She could tell she was clumsy but he didn’t seem to mind.

His hand under her T-shirt fondled her breasts, going from one to the other, pinching and rolling her nipples and making her see stars. He moaned low and groaned from time to time, pressing his body to hers, and she felt something hard press against her thigh, knew on instinct that it was a big deal. And that she wasn’t ready for it. Not even a little bit.

Zack pulled up her T-shirt and trailed kisses down the front of her neck, and Sephya had to cover her mouth when his hot tongue found her breasts. His breath was dewy and warm, his full lips soft on her oversensitive skin, his tongue pure, wet torture as it circled around her nipples and flicked the hard peaks.

Sephya would lose her mind if the pressure in her pelvis and throbbing in her sex kept spiking without some sort of release. She squeezed her thighs together with increased determination as Zack continued to tease her breasts, and the pleasure tripled, peaking, higher and higher until it crashed and swept over her like a wave.

She shuddered and Zack absorbed her moans with his lips, their messy, hungry, desperate kisses fueled by raw lust and chemistry. Shock waves of pleasure surged through Sephya’s body, liquid fire coursed through her veins and her mind went blank. She could only focus on Zack’s strong arms holding her, on his big, warm hands on her body, on his lips that refused to leave hers, the frantic kisses absorbing both their moans, gasps, and whispers.

Sephya didn’t know what Zack had done to her or what was happening for the most part, but she had never felt so good before, so weightless and contented. It was kind of scary.

“Sephya… you're killing me here…” Zack breathed, his soft, wet lips still caressing hers.

Confusion flared in Sephya’s mind. “What-”

The hand Zack had on her breasts slid down, his fingertips leaving trails of fire in their wake until they brushed over her sex and some kind of flare spell exploded between Sephya’s legs and in her brain. She cried out, forgetting what she had been about to say, and Zack muffled the sound with a deep, hungry kiss.

The pleasure was strong and hard to resist, but the raging flames of passion died down when Sephya’s thoughts got away from her. Screenshots of her past cycled in front of her eyes in a terrifying slide show, the colors still fresh and vivid. Much like the still bleeding wounds in her soul that had never healed.

Wandering alone as a weak eight year old with no control over her magic, trudging to Midgar under the scorching hot sun, with nothing to eat or drink, no water or living nature in sight. Exhaustion had almost brought her to her knees a few times, but the desperation fueling her quest had kept her going.

_ No, no no no, I don’t want to see this again!_ But it was useless to fight it. Her brain was ruthless whenever the dark, rejected memories crawled out of the cracks in the box they were supposed to be locked in.

A white pickup truck, the paint dulled and cracked from the age and exposure to the elements, allowing rust to win the war, two bulky men, rough and tanned from working under the sun…

_ No no no!_

Tears welled in Sephya’s eyes and overflowed, streaming down her cheeks and making Zack’s sweet kiss salty. He noticed and pulled back, eyes wide with fear and worry. She saw his lips moving as his hand left her body and cupped her wet cheek. The agony brought on by the memories was acid in Sephya’s chest and stomach, burning everything into nothing, taking all her senses away and leaving only pain.

_ Stop… make it stop… _There was no stopping it.

She had tried to run, knowing it would be impossible to fight them off, but she had been slow in her exhaustion. In no time she had found herself pressed against the scorching metal of the truck, trapped while unwelcome, rough hands wandered her body, confusing, shocking, and scarring her too young, innocent mind.

They had thrown her on the back of the truck and one had held her down while the other had his fun, touching without permission, trespassing, dirtying. It had all been too much and Sephya had lost it. Had lost herself.

“K-knock me out…” She croaked, hoping Zack would understand.

The next part was the worst.

“What? Why? What’s wrong?!” Zack asked, confused.

He didn’t make it in time.

Flames, screaming, the sickly smell of flesh burning, and blood boiling. That’s how she had cast flare for the first time. The truck had exploded, the two men had burned to death, Sephya had barely escaped in time and still ended up with some bad burns herself. Getting to Midgar after that had been hell and she knew those faces twisted in agony, those smells, those rough hands on her, those screams would be forever branded on her brain, on her soul.

If only Aerith had left her to die…

“Stop! Make it stop!” She sat up on the bed, pushing Zack away with a palm on his chest, and screamed. Screamed loud enough to hurt her throat, hands pressed to her temples.

“Damn…” She heard Zack say as Aerith burst into the room, barefoot and wide-eyed, with Elmyra on her heels.

“What happened!?”

Zack shook his head and Sephya reached a hand out to Aerith, who rushed to her side.

“Panic… knock me out…”

Aerith bit her lip, brows furrowed. She never wanted to resort to that, but she also knew there was no other way.

“I thought these panic attacks were over… Why?” Elmyra whispered behind Aerith, close to tears as she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Knock her out, Zack, please,” Aerith said, being strong for everyone in the room.

Sephya hated herself even more for forcing her best friend into yet another shitty situation. She should have known better…

“Alright…” Zack murmured, confusion and regret on his handsome face.

Sephya let him cradle her in his arms and felt a dull pain on the back of her neck when he hit it. She went limp in his arms as the world faded into a sea of blissful darkness.

_ Three weeks later_

Zack knocked three times on the dark wood double doors of the Gainsborough family home. It was early in the morning and after visiting regularly and getting to know Aerith and Elmyra after the incident with Sephya, he’d ended up being invited to breakfast a bunch of times and fallen into a habit of coming to see them on his weekly day off.

Aerith opened the door and the smell of pancakes and scrambled eggs wafted out and into Zack’s nose. The warm, homey atmosphere made him smile and Aerith matched him, motioning for him to walk in.

“Good morning, and perfect timing as usual.” She greeted, flashing a cheeky smile while closing the door behind Zack.

He laughed and ran his thumb over his lower lip. “Well you know, when there’s food…”

Aerith chuckled and Elmyra glanced over her shoulder from the kitchenette area where she was preparing the fragrant breakfast.

“Good morning, Zack. Make yourself at home, the food’s almost ready.”

“Good morning, and thanks, ma'am…” Zack trailed off, stopping halfway through following Aerith to the table in the center of the room.

Sephya was strolling down the stairs, gathering her hip length, strawberry blond hair into a high ponytail, the black elastic still trapped between her rosy lips. She was wearing black, high waist denim shorts, a cropped white sweatshirt, and black and white sneakers. The thick elastic band of a black sports bra peeked out from under her sweatshirt when she raised her arms.

Zack was instantly attracted to her, drawn in like a moth to a flame, and he felt like cursing. She was off-limits, no matter how much he wanted her, it should have been clear after everything that had already happened between them and the hell he’d got from Aerith and Elmyra after admitting that he’d put his hands on Sephya quite a bit more than he should have. That had been an awkward conversation...

But he couldn't forget that night, the good and the bad. It was always there, in the back of his mind, how right she had felt in his arms, and how wrong, how painful it had been to see her suffer.

Reaching the end of the stairs, Sephya paused and glanced around the room, twisting the elastic around her hair and flashing a brief smile. “Morning, everyone. I’m going out to train, have a nice breakfast.” She said a bit too fast, leaving no room for interruption. 

“Morning, Sephy. Can’t you stick around for breakfast just today?” Aerith greeted, following Sephya with bright emerald eyes as she sauntered to the table and grabbed an apple from a wooden bowl filled with fresh fruit.

“Morning, and what she said,” Zack said, exchanging a secret, cocky smirk with Sephya when their eyes met.

He knew why she wasn’t staying, kind of understood too, but that didn’t mean he agreed with her. And he wished she would stop keeping him at arm’s length already.

“No can do, training time is sacred. Later.” Sephya answered in an overly cheerful tone, kissing Elmyra’s cheek and exchanging smiles before rushing to the front door and stopping with her hand on the knob. Aerith’s gaze drifted down to the stone floor, a sorrowful expression on her pretty face. Zack knew Sephya was keeping her at arm’s length as well, but for different reasons. “Before I forget, we had an assignment together today, Zack. I had it switched, you’re going with Alena.”

She walked out before anyone could answer.

“Well, I see some things don’t change…” Zack whispered, patting Aerith’s back and offering a small smile. “Cheer up, she’ll get over it when she’s buffer than me. She’s already stronger than most people I know so I don’t see the drive, but…”

He did see the drive though, too clearly for his own good. He’d got carried away and made her relive something horrible. She was lashing out, embarrassed, angry with herself and her choices, seeking more power to compensate for her moment of weakness, using the excessive exercise as an outlet as well as a distraction. Nothing was her fault but she made everything her fault. She gathered up all the dark, negative feelings and stored them in her broken heart, believing she was the only one who deserved to be unhappy, the only one to blame.

And even after three long weeks, no one had been able to break through the reinforced walls Sephya had rebuilt around herself. Getting her to move back home had been everyone’s one and only glorious victory, won for the most part by Elmyra, putting her foot down and insisting she didn’t want her daughter living alone and far away while having such a dangerous job. Sephya acted tough but she had a soft heart and killing her family with worry was not something she could do, so she had relented without putting up much of a fight.

“Yeah, I hope you’re right. If only I had known…” Aerith said, hugging herself and sitting on a chair already pulled back from the table.

Zack bit his lip and sat beside her. “Known what? That I’m an idiot and you should have kicked me out? This is my fault, so don’t beat yourself up over it.”

Aerith looked into his eyes, searching for something that he hoped she would find, her expression unreadable. He felt she didn’t quite trust him yet, but he _had_ pushed down her adoptive sister three times in two days, so he couldn’t really blame her. Sephya had been completely innocent and oblivious to the opposite sex and sexual pleasure before he had come along. And that thought dragged his mind down to the gutter for reasons he refused to indulge.

“You can’t…” Aerith trailed off, blushing and glancing away. She cleared her throat before continuing. “You can’t get close to her like that, she’s far from prepared for it and I don’t want to see her suffer again.”

Zack got busy staring at the floor while his cheeks combusted. Sephya was right in staying away from him. Even after what had happened, he wanted her more and more. And he wanted things from her that she wasn’t ready to give, Aerith was right.

“I know…”

“Really?” Zack lifted his head and had a hard time holding Aerith’s unblinking stare. Her brows were pulled together and her lips drawn in a thin line. She wasn’t convinced he could stay away, but then again, neither was he. “I noticed the way you looked at her earlier and… let’s just say there was too much fire in your eyes…”

Aerith blushed as she trailed off and Zack felt naked under her gaze. She was too perceptive, and she knew more than she let on.

“Sorry about that, but I don’t think I can help it.”

Aerith pressed a palm to her forehead and sighed. “Gaia help us…”

************************************************************

Sephya ran until her lungs burned, then did more push-ups and sit-ups than she could handle. Everything hurt and that was perfect, it erased the psychological pain that was way worse, the embarrassment too, and the damned weakness.

What the hell had she been thinking, letting things go that far? They should have never even kissed to begin with. She was supposed to loath the touch of men, so why in Gaia’s name was Zack different?

Memories of him invaded her brain as she trained outside the cottage, punching and high kicking a dummy she kept close to the rubble piled up on the other side of the stream beside the house. She gritted her teeth, wishing she could forget but fearing it at the same time. She didn’t know how she felt about him, didn’t know what the things they had done that night meant, why she had let him get so close; she didn’t know anything and the confusion was pissing her off.

She was strong dammit, she had survived against all odds, she knew what her goal in life was, she was prepared to let down her life for what she believed in, so why was she getting sidetracked now? Zack and her feelings and desires were of no consequence. Her mission as a Cetra and Aerith’s life were all that mattered. She'd made a promise...

“Get out of my head!” She shouted, high kicking the dummy’s head and falling back against a broad, hard chest after losing her balance. Gloved hands touched her arms and she shivered, knowing it was him without having to look. Her body’s response to his presence spiked her anger. “Why are you here?”

Zack stepped back, crossing his arms as Sephya whirled to face him. “Will you ever forgive me for making you fall for me?”

He flashed a sexy, bad boy grin and Sephya threw back a punch at the dummy’s chest, right over where the heart would be.

“Don’t be cute with me, I can’t fall for anyone.”

Zack threw his head back and laughed, then narrowed his eyes at her. “Right, of course, because you’re actually a robot and catching feelings isn't in the programming.”

Sephya huffed and went back to punching and kicking the dummy. “We can go with that, whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“Knowing you don’t hate me for life would help me sleep at night,” Zack said, his voice a rich, low rumble that made Sephya’s chest tighten.

Deep down, she wanted to be close to him, to get to know him better, and feel alive in his arms. But she also wanted to shut all those wishes out of her brain, walk around with a blindfold so she didn’t ever have to see him again and fucking find where her focus had run off to and drag it back by the ear.

“I don’t hate you. I don’t really know how I feel about you, but I don’t think I hate you.” She admitted, pressing her black gauze wrapped knuckles to the dummy’s tattered leather chest. “Is that enough?” She asked over her shoulder.

Zack shook his head. His muscles bulged with his arms crossed and Sephya’s gaze lingered, much to her annoyance.

“You admitting you fell for me and frequenting my bed every night would be ideal, but it’s a start.”

_ Gaia help us… _

Heat flared in Sephya’s cheeks and other places she refused to acknowledge. Why could she imagine what they would be doing on that bed? Oh right, they’d used hers for the trial run… She was going insane, she needed to catch a break.

“I need you to give me some space, Zack. I’m not the person you think I am and… and this is all happening too fast.”

Zack sighed, arms falling to his sides. “Fair enough. Will you tell me who you really are then? Give me a chance to get to know you and take things slow? Maybe stop trying to shove Aerith into a bubble because she’s not made of crystal?”

Sephya resumed punching and kicking. “Aerith is my responsibility, don’t talk about stuff you don’t understand.”

“She’s the same age as you.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Will you please open up to me about _something?!”_

Sephya spun around to face Zack, surprised to hear his angry, raised voice. She’d come to realize it was hard to make him lose his temper.

“You’d take off running for the hills if I did.” She whispered, biting her lower lip.

He grunted, hands going to his hips. “Do I look like a damsel in distress to you? I get into fights for a living, I’ve seen people injured and dying, what’s so bad about your past?”

Sephya began unraveling the gauze around her knuckles. “I’m not like you, there’s blood on my hands, lots of it… do you really want bloody hands on you?”

She flashed her palms and bruised knuckles, putting on her best menacing grin. Saw the flames dance before her eyes, the screaming, the blades tinged red, crying, blood, despair… She was too broken for someone like Zack. He was the sun, she was the darkness where things hid at night, waiting to pounce.

“Give me your worst, I’ll still want you,” Zack answered, confident as always.

Sephya sighed. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

She refused to meet his eyes as she walked away, but knew there was sorrow in them. That was all she had to offer, all that was left in her wake.

Zack could do better, no matter how much it would sting to see him embrace someone else…


	14. The Power To Back It Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finishing Final Fantasy 7 Remake on hard mode is proving to be great inspiration, so I got a bunch of chapters done and thought I'd upload an extra this month. Happy reading ^^

Two uneventful days passed after Sephya’s small argument with Zack. They continued to interact superficially and when necessary, Alena continued to be happy about their sudden falling out, Sian kept asking too many questions and wandering off into her utopia of expensive, tricked out labs, Aerith was sweet, quirky, and accepting as always, Elmyra too, minus the quirky bit, Angeal tried to pry again but was unsuccessful, Genesis kept exploding on people every five minutes, Sephiroth remained his usual brooding, powerful self; and time marched on, unstoppable and uncaring.

Hojo was  working hard at  being a huge ass though, and  lately,  most of Sephya’s “assignments” came from him. Not suspicious at all.  He kept pitting her against powerful opponents, even Genesis one time, which was great  really, and asking for regular physical checkups that were carried out by Sian. Both Sephya and Sian were onto him, seeing past his excuses of developing a promising SOLDIER and  anticipating the day he took things too far.  Which couldn't be far, considering who they were dealing with.

Gaia knew, Sephya was exhausted, and getting mana from Zack wasn’t an option anymore, so she had to tread lightly.

“Hey, rookie, enjoying some free time?”

Genesis’s voice got Sephya’s attention and she looked up from the can of cherry soda she had been nursing while chilling in the rest area. He sat across the metal table from her and put his elbows on the smooth gray surface, resting his chin on his hands.

“Fighting another one of Hojo’s pet machines in,” she glanced at a simple gray clock mounted on the wall above the lit-up vending machine. “fifteen minutes, so I thought I’d catch my breath since it’s today’s tenth round.” She deadpanned. 

Genesis  quirked an eyebrow. “Sounds rough, but don’t get put out of commission before we have our rematch. You beat me ‘cause you got lucky.”

Sephya laughed. Fighting Genesis again was way down on her list of priorities. “Suuure… it had nothing to do with you being hotheaded and easy to read.”

“Don’t get cheeky with me rookie, it’s best of three so I haven’t lost yet.” Sephya laughed again and Genesis actually joined her. He was in a rare good mood apparently. “So, you ready to tell me about that magic of yours yet?”

“No Genesis, and you’ve asked that one hundred times already. No fabulous prize though, just my annoyance levels going through the roof. Why do you care anyway?” 

He shrugged. “If I told you I was into you, would you tell me?”

Zack chose that exact moment to walk by, and judging by his death glare, Genesis was on someone’s shit list. He was probably on the entire company’s shit list, to be honest. Dude had a temper, and so did Alena, if the rumors were true.

“Stop being an idiot, Genesis,” Sephya said, then downed the rest of her drink and stood up. “I have to get going now, wish me luck…”

He huffed as she tossed the empty can in the  metal mesh bin by the vending machines, aiming perfectly without having to look. 

“You’re strong, you don’t need luck. But you should probably use your magic more.”

“I wish I could…” Sephya whispered to herself as she trudged to the reinforced testing room where Sian, Hojo, and some form of deadly machinery would be waiting for her.

*********************************************************

Zack wanted to punch something. Genesis’s stupid face to be exact. What the hell was that guy playing at with Sephya? For as long as Zack could recall, Genesis had never shown an interest in anyone, dude was so self-absorbed, his best friend was probably his own reflection. And now he was hanging out with Sephya and being hypothetically into her? Was he secretly a teenage girl? Dammit, Zack needed to get it together…

_ She’s mine. _

There it was again, his go-to words when it came to Sephya. But he wasn’t questioning it anymore. And if those two kept hanging out and Genesis got too close, Zack was going to blow a fuse  and cause an explosion of epic proportions. 

“Slow down, Zack. You’re going to break that treadmill.”

Angeal’s voice  drew Zack’s attention away from thoughts of killing Genesis and quietly disposing of the body. Which, let’s face it, was probably a  public service. 

After passing by the rest area, thinking he would get a drink and getting an earful of bullshit instead, Zack had decided to tire himself out in the training center before heading  home. His work was done for the day, but he wasn’t looking forward to being alone with his thoughts in his empty apartment. 

“I’ll break them all until one breaks me,” Zack said through gritted teeth, wiping sweat from his forehead with the back of a hand. His black T-shirt and matching sweatpants were getting soaked, but he _had _been running at top speed for a while. 

Angeal chuckled and leaned on the console of the treadmill next to the one Zack was in the process of  overheating, staring with knowing blue eyes. 

“What’s going on with you? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so aggravated.”

Zack barked out a laugh. “I’d tell you, but I have a feeling you already know.”

“Try me.”

“Women.”

Angeal  cocked an eyebrow. “Sephya?”  Zack nodded, keeping his eyes focused on the view of Midgar outside the panoramic window in front of the treadmills. The day was dark  and gloomy, the smog of pollution heavy in the air  stifling the steel and concrete city. “Weren’t you two getting along?” 

“We _were_, but…”

“But?” Angeal pressed, crossing his arms.

“We ah… I…” Zack’s cheeks burned as a vivid image of Sephya, sprawled out on the bed with her T-shirt rolled up and firm breasts exposed, almost short-circuited his brain. “I got carried away and she panicked. Things are kinda awkward right now…” 

Angeal sighed. “I can imagine…” _No you can’t. And thank Gaia for that._ Zack though. No one but him should know what Sephya looked and sounded like when she came. “Has she told you anything about herself? What she is? Her past? Why she’s here?”

Angeal’s questions stopped Zack’s derailing thoughts and piqued his interest. Did Angeal know something? Zack jabbed the buttons of the machine in a hurry, decreasing the speed bit by bit.

“Do you know something I don’t?”

His tone was harsh and cold, and Angeal hadn’t done anything wrong, but Zack was fed up with all the secrets. What was it with Sephya’s past and powers and _everything_ that made people act crazy?

“Calm down. And whatever it is you need to know, I think you should hear it from her.” _Yeah, that’s been working out great so far… _“But in the meantime, you should think about what you’re feeling and what it means. You don’t know her well enough to fall in love, what you’re feeling is lust and it’s superficial. Things could change when you get to know her better.”

“They won’t.”

“You don’t know that, stop being a brat. Discipline, Zack. You’re a soldier and you should be in full control of your mind as well as your body. Losing focus could get you killed.”

Zack groaned as he jumped off the treadmill. He knew Angeal was right, or at least had a point, but he was too riled up to face the truth. He hadn’t been expecting to get a lecture in the middle of trying to knock himself out with exercise, either. And even if what he felt for Sephya was just lust, it was still there, still real, still eating him up inside.

“What’s your point, Angeal?”

“Take a step back, live your life and let her live hers, let things flow. She’s not a normal girl, she won’t get starry-eyed over your muscles or the fact you’re in SOLDIER. She’s used to being hurt and alone, it feels like that’s all she knows. You’ll just make it harder for yourself if you push her.”

Zack released an exasperated sigh, slumping his shoulders. “So I should just leave her alone and hope she falls for me and not some other guy?”

Angeal threw his head back on a laugh. “You can get closer to her and give her a reason to like you, but maybe stop pushing her down, among other things…”

Zack’s entire body flared with embarrassment. How the hell did Angeal know about those ‘other things’?

“… How?”

Angeal flashed a knowing smile. “Alena has a big mouth and was pissed when she caught you, also Sian thinks she’s got it all figured out.”

Zack  dragged a hand down his face and shook his head. “Great…”

“Maybe you should give Alena a chance, she’s certainly starry-eyed when it comes to you.”

“Shut up man.”

************************************************************

_ Four days later_

“Sephy!? Are you done with your shower yet? I have to head out soon.”

“Almost done, Aerith, and you still have time, calm down.” Sephya called from inside the steamy bathroom while towel drying her hair. Her body temperature was naturally low, so she enjoyed her showers burning hot, and she took her sweet time, thank you very much. Melting required dedication.

“Zack is already downstairs and you’ve been in there for half an hour.”

A few hundred needles pierced Sephya’s heart at the mention of Zack and she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. Everything was peaceful and flowing in the right direction, she should have been happy, but…

“Done, bathroom’s all yours, Aerith.” She said, sauntering out of the bathroom enveloped in a cloud of steam and wrapped in a thick white towel. 

Aerith  put on her  best  “seriously?” expression. “The humidity your showers generate is going to make this house crumble one day. It’s mostly wood, you know?” 

“Yes mom, sorry mom, gonna keep doing it, mom.” Sephya joked as she strolled to her room and they both laughed.

Back in her bedroom, Sephya pulled on one of her too-short black dresses with shorts under combo, thigh-high black socks and black combat boots. The dress had some buttons and arabesque details in gold on the back, so it wasn’t all black, just almost.

She twisted her light strawberry blond hair into a braid that fell over her shoulder as she strolled down the stairs to the living room/kitchen area of the cottage. Zack was leaning on one of the marble counters in the kitchen area, arms crossed, chatting with Elmyra. Their eyes met as she reached the bottom of the stairs and something passed between them, a special energy that was basically a giant magnet, struggling to bring them together.

“Hey Sephya, is Aerith ready yet?” He asked, offering a friendly smile that could probably melt panties. 

Especially if those panties belonged to Sephya...  


She made an effort to appear nonchalant. “Nope, sorry, I hogged the shower. Thanks for looking out for her, by the way.”

He shrugged. “Don’t mention it, selling flowers sounds like a relaxing way to spend my day off.” His charming smile faded, his expression becoming serious. “You’re meeting with Sian and Sephiroth today, right? You sure training with him is a good idea?”

“Not sure yet, but I guess I’ll find out.” Sephya answered, nodding. “If I don’t come back, keep Aerith and Elmyra safe for me.”

She winked at Zack and glanced at Elmyra as she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the table. Right on cue, Elmyra huffed, slammed her knife down on the wooden cutting board and turned away from the carrots she had been slicing, hands parked on hips and eyes narrowed.

“When will you stop being a tomboy and saying things like that? We need you here, _you_, no one else. So stop putting yourself in danger.”

“Sorry.” Sephya consented, walking around the kitchenette counter and hugging her adoptive mother. “I’ll be careful, promise.” She kissed Elmyra’s cheek and stepped back, then faced Zack. “But I’ll totally haunt you if you don’t look out for them.” 

“Sephya!”

“Sorry, that was the last one. Later!”

They all laughed and she walked out of the house smiling. She was as ready as she would ever be for yet another day in paradise… _It’s all for the greater good, just keep telling yourself that._

Walking out of the elevator into the SOLDIER floor, Sephya made a beeline to the simulation room. The thick metal door slid open as she approached, and Sephiroth and Sian were already waiting on the other side, chatting next to some lit up consoles with too many numbers and symbols scrolling through the green/blue screens. They turned to face Sephya as she walked in, and Sian looked like a kid in a candy shop. Sephya couldn't believe she had agreed to go through with one of the doctor's crazy ideas.

“Sephya, I’m glad to see you didn’t get cold feet at the last minute.” Sian said, smiling and adjusting her rimless glasses.

Sephiroth just gave a curt nod, which Sephya returned. She liked his greeting better.

“As if… cut the crap and let’s get this over with.”

“Cold as always, I see.”

“Just being my best charming self. You rather I fake smile my way through this?”

Sephiroth snorted and everything froze. Sephya stared, Sian stared, even the dust particles in the air stared. Sian opened her mouth, closed it, stared some more.

“What?” Sephiroth asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Sephya pinched her own forearm to make sure she was awake and not living some sort of fever dream. It hurt. She decided to pinch Sian too, before she short-circuited. The doctor’s cheeks were red as tomatoes for some reason.

“Ouch! What was that for?”

“He’s evolved into someone who can show basic emotions, rejoice, throw a party, but focus for now.” Sephya deadpanned. “You can prod and probe him later, when you’re not wasting my time anymore.”

Sian sucked some air into her lungs, puffing her chest, then slowly let it out. Her cheeks were still a bit red, and her electric blue eyes kept darting to Sephiroth.

“Right…” She whispered, regaining some of her nonchalant researcher composure. “I’m not wasting your time, this is going to work. He has all the discipline you lack.”

Sephya shrugged. “Thanks for the compliment, but what are we doing exactly?”

“Sephiroth is going to help you control the flow of your mana, and I’m going to monitor everything to see if it’s working.”

Sephya narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, unconvinced. “What does he know about controlling mana? And I can’t use magic without getting backlash. Which one of you wants to get sucked dry when that happens?”

“He knows more than you think. And I don’t have enough spare energy to save a flea, so you can take it from Sephiroth.”

All Sephya could do was stare, and she was pretty sure her jaw hit the floor too. She was going to take what from who? No freaking way. She shook her head.

“It’s fine, I have energy to spare. And I can control it too, so you won’t need to get too close.”

Sephya stared at Sephiroth, blinked a few times.

“Give us a chance, it’s better than doing nothing.” Sephya stared at Sian, blinked a few more times. “Will you stop staring and say something? Hellooo?”

Sian waved a hand in front of Sephya’s face, arching a perfect, dark eyebrow and suppressing a smile.

“Sure, whatever… what can go wrong? He only _almost_ killed me once…”

“I had no intention of killing you. Hojo kept relevant information from me.”

“So Sian’s already filled you in then?”

“Yes, you’re a pure Cetra, quite a rare find nowadays.”

“Rare? Try extinct. I can’t have kids.”

All eyebrows in the room shot up except Sephya’s. Sian looked like someone had just shot her puppy in the face.

“You’re kidding, right?” The doctor asked, her voice low and cracking. 

“No. The mako infusions damaged that part of me. I knew it could happen, it was a choice, not an accident. On the brighter side, I’m immune to cellular degradation.”

Sian grabbed Sephya’s shoulders and gave her a few harsh shakes. Her grip was strong and painful, her electric blue stare hard and accusing.

“Are you crazy? Aerith is half-human and you just _decided_ to end your entire species?!”

“Let go of me, Sian.” Sian stepped back when she was hit with the full force of Sephya’s tundra stare and cut-the-shit voice. “My lineage brings nothing but destruction, be happy that Aerith is the only one left.”

“What the hell does a brat like you know? What gives you the right to doom an entire species?” Sian protested, red lips pursed and hands clenched to fists at her sides.

“My responsibilities as a Cetra give me the right. Monsters like me were needed thousands of years ago when Jenova massacred my people, now we’re just dangerous wild cards that need to disappear.”

Sian shook her head, slumping her shoulders. “You were the last…”  _and Jenova is still… _ Sephya heard in her mind, catching a glimpse of Sian’s  thoughts thanks to her emotions running high. Interesting, and not completely surprising  to see that the good doctor was in the loop. Too bad  Sephya couldn't broach the subject without giving her sensing abilities,  and knowledge of Shinra’s best kept secrets,  away. 

“Were you maybe thinking of getting me pregnant and studying my offspring?” Sephya asked instead, quirking an eyebrow. Sian blushed, eyes wide. “If so, then sorry to disappoint, but that was never going to happen.”

Sian cleared her throat, glancing at Sephiroth, who was probably wishing he could fall through the steel floor and sprint out of the building. Talk about uncomfortable conversations.

“Alright, this has gone on long enough. I’ll set up the simulation, you two get going and get ready. Don’t forget your earpieces.”

“Sounds good.” Sephya agreed, turning away from Sian and marching to the reinforced glass door separating the control room from the simulation area. Red writing on the glass read ‘WARNING, Lv. 49 simulation area’.

Sephiroth followed Sephya into the  simulation room, impassive as usual, and Sian turned to the many consoles in the control room, pressing buttons with swift, deft fingers.  The simulation loaded in, floating ones and zeros transforming the bland metal walls and floors of the simulation room into something completely different. 

This time Sephya found herself in the badlands outside of Midgar, a vastness of desolate plains she knew all too well. The earth was cracked and dry under her combat boots, the heat of the sun beating down on her head felt all too real and familiar, and there was no green in sight, just ashy, wheat brown earth and jagged gray rocks and crags.

The place fit her to perfection. A lifeless shell, sucked dry, left empty and broken but struggling all the same.

“So, what are we supposed to do?” Sephya asked Sephiroth, crossing her arms and glancing around.

“Can you turn this place into a green field?” He asked, an unusual smug smile on his lips.

“I’m not that kind of Cetra.”

He chuckled. “Then we fight. Use all the magic you want, I’ll stay on the defensive to see what you can do.”

“That seems kind of unfair. Are you sure?”

“Positive. Give me your worst.”

Sephya shrugged, joined her hands and cracked her knuckles. She didn’t bother to grab the scythe strapped to her back.

“You asked for it.”

She started with ice, because it was too damn hot and why not. Sharp, frozen spikes erupted from the dry earth with a flick of her wrist, about a hundred of them, all around Sephiroth and under his feet. He unsheathed his sword and slashed in an ark after jumping, breaking almost all the spikes in half. That blade had some serious reach.

“That the best you got?” He taunted, perching himself on the now flat peak of one of the broken spikes.

“Dream on.” Sephya answered, smirking.

She joined her hands and concentrated, tapped into the lifestream, sensing its gentle, flickering flow through the earth under Midgar. The temperature in the room dropped fast, the sun continued to shine but her breath came out in puffs of condensation. She crouched and touched her palms to the dusty ground. Sheets of ice spread out in all directions, spikes shot up at random, backed up by others that formed in the air and shot to wherever Sephya sensed movement. Sephiroth dodged and slashed, tiring himself out while Sephya stayed in the same position, tapped into the lifestream and omnipresent. She could sense every step, every breath, every slash before it happened, and act accordingly, keeping her opponent on his toes.

It would have been perfect and deadly if it didn’t exhaust her in minutes.

“Stop, Sephya. Your vitals are dipping fast.” Sian warned through the earpiece.

Of course. So much power and she could barely let loose for ten minutes.

Sighing, Sephya stood and broke the spell. The ice shattered and dissipated into sparkling particles all around. She swayed and Sephiroth rushed to her side, standing behind her and holding her up with both hands on her shoulders.

“Thanks…” Sephya whispered, chest heaving as she tried and failed to steady her breathing. 

“Take what you need from me.” He ordered simply.

She did, not like she had much of a choice anyway. His hands on her shoulders were more than enough, he was so powerful it felt like she was tapping into an endless spring of  uncontrollable life force. It flowed easily and quickly,  loading the air around them  with flickering jade and white particles  when Sephya’s body reached its limit. 

She returned what had overflowed to its rightful owner, feeling stronger than ever and eager to see what she could do with some much power under her control. Probably waste it in record time, no doubt.

“Are you done?” Sephiroth asked without moving.

“Yes.”

“Alright, then close your eyes and focus.” Sephya’s eyelids fluttered closed and she cleared her mind like she had done countless times before. “Tap into the energy I just gave you, sense its flow.” She did as she was told, sensing and seeing the green white flow of the life pulsing through her body. “Now hold out your hands and cast something small.” She held out her hands, palms up, and willed balls of flame to hover over her palms. It should have required only a small amount of mana to sustain flames so small, but a million cracks in her spirit allowed triple the energy to escape. She saw it now, the flow splitting off from its steady course around her body, some of it redirected to the spell she was maintaining, the rest wasted, vaporizing after separating from the main stream. “Do you see the wasted energy?”

“Yes.”

“Those cracks are your doubts and your fears. You’re holding yourself back because you’re scared of your own power. Will those to close and learn to live with the possibility of losing control, or learn to live with your weakness.”

Well, he had a point. And it was a simple choice to make.

“I… I want to close them.” Sephya whispered. She was done being weak, it had cost her too much already. The fear of losing control again would always be there, but it was a price she was willing to pay. If she was going to keep seeing herself as a monster anyway, then she might as well have the power to match that assessment.

“Then cast something stronger, let everything flow, don’t try to contain it, and visualize the cracks closing. Visualize the power flowing only to where you need it.”

Sephya nodded, keeping her eyes closed and focusing on the mana coursing through her body as she willed hundreds of fireballs to materialize around her and Sephiroth. The energy seeping through the cracks increased, dissipating faster and she gritted her teeth, using everything she had to fill the air with more and more fireballs.

The heat grew to near unbearable levels, she was turning the simulation room into a giant oven but no one was complaining or telling her to stop, so she kept it up. A moment later, Sephiroth dug his fingers into her shoulders and his deep voice rumbled close to her ear.

“Start closing, over half the energy I gave you is gone.”

Sephya nodded, the strain on her entire being too much to allow her to speak. She didn’t know how Sephiroth could see the flow so clearly when he wasn’t a Cetra and even Sephya herself had to concentrate hard to see anything. But he was right as usual, the jade/white stream inside her was thinning fast, and the SOLDIER hero’s presence kind of helped her focus.

Maintaining the  orbs of flame crackling and flickering all around, Sephya visualized the thin, white cracks in her spirit closing, thinning bit by bit until the darkness and the glowing stream coursing through it were all that remained.  She willed the mana remaining to course through her body, containing it and keeping it away from the bigger cracks she struggled to close. 

“Stop casting, but not all at once, and try to absorb the mana left hanging in the air,” Sephiroth ordered, relaxing his hold on Sephya’s shoulders. 

She could tell even he was getting uncomfortable with all the heat. 

“Alright.” She breathed, dissipating a few hundred fireballs and drawing the particles of surging mana lingering in the air towards her.

As more fireballs disappeared, Sephya sealed the remaining cracks and felt like she was floating as she regulated the stream of life inside her body. All by herself, she was stable all by herself. And some guidance from Sephiroth.

“Good job. Now freeze this place before we boil.” Sephiroth said, stepping back and cracking a charming smile as Sephya turned to face him, still walking on air, light as a feather. 

“Here. A thank you gift.” She said, willing the temperature in the space immediately around them to drop and suspending minuscule, snowflake-like ice particles in the air.

Sephiroth waved a hand through the chilly air and a few sparkling flurries clung to his black glove.

“Nice.” His approving smile made Sephya feel weirdly proud of herself. He was kind of like the father she’d never had the chance to get close to, which was odd, considering she was nineteen and he was probably in his early twenties. “Now let’s continue, you have to practice until you can control everything without concentrating so hard. You won’t get so much downtime to focus in a real battle.”

“Of course.” Sephya agreed, nodding.

For the rest of the day, Sephiroth pushed Sephya to the limit. She had to take mana from him three more times, one after shaking the entire building with a powerful quake that had people running into the control room to ask what was going on. They both admitted they had failed to think that one through.

Then again after creating a tornado that was way too hard to control. If Sephya blew her tiny self away with her own magic, then she was kind of missing the point of using it to attack  _others._

And the last time had been after he’d asked her to cast flare again, something he could do as well, but with some super rare materia.

Even though she’d still collapsed after casting powerful spells, the backlash wasn’t as strong as before.  The cracks weren’t fully sealed, it wasn’t that easy, but they were steadily getting smaller, and if they could keep training regularly, Sephya was sure she would be in control in no time. 

When it was finally time to call it a day, Sephya had a newfound appreciation for her  stoic, silver-haired  superior, and Sian was mostly done sulking, so all was well. They all made a commitment to train once a week, said goodbye,  then Sephya left the simulation room alone and grabbed a soda  and a chocolate bar  from the vending machines in the rest area before heading to the elevator. 

They had only stopped to eat once, around lunchtime, after Sian had insisted and threatened to leave them alone if they ended up passed out on the floor. The doctor had bought sandwiches, energy bars, and sodas from the  cafeteria in the recreational facility a few floors up , and Sephiroth and Sephya had  downed them so fast, Sephya couldn't even remember what it had all tasted like. And she had an inkling Sephiroth couldn't either. 

It was completely dark outside when Sephya strolled out of the Shinra building, the only light coming from the many street lamps lining the quiet cobblestone streets. She took the deserted late train down to the slums, and despite being  exhausted, had to do some pest control during her short walk home. Damn  fiends kept popping up no matter how many times she smacked them around. She should have signed up as a full-time vigilante and got rich. 

As  she walked along the dirt path leading to Elmyra’s cottage, with makeshift lamps she had helped install to keep the place bright dotted around like fireflies, the soft murmuring of the stream in her ears and the sweet smell of flowers in the air,  Sephya spotted Zack sitting on the  green grass, close to one of the yellow lamps.  He was right on the edge of the calm stream, staring at the  blue/green water, and Sephya was assaulted by the warm and fuzzies as she watched him, approaching quietly. 

“Boo!” She teased as she came to a stop behind him, and he made a show of being startled.

“Whoa! When did you get here?”

Sephya laughed and playfully swatted his arm, moving to sit beside him.

“My stealth skills must be on point if I just got the drop on you.”

She winked and he shrugged.

“What can I say, I get distracted sometimes.”

He flashed a cheeky smile and they both laughed, comfortable in each other’s presence, just like that. Sephya realized that she’d missed him as their eyes met, sky blue and jade, in a quiet, peaceful moment that felt all the nicer  and precious  after a hard day at work,  after an entire day apart. 


	15. Perfect Moment

“So how’d it go today? Did you two manage to sell a lot of flowers?” Sephya asked, leaning back on her hands and fixing her gaze on the dark steel plate high above their heads, blocking out the sky, the stars, the planet, everything. A massive gilded cage for humans, built by humans.

Zack leaned forward,  propping his arms on his knees and keeping his sky blue eyes on the flowing water, and the flickering yellowish-green fireflies hovering above it. 

“A few, but Midgar and nature really don’t match. People just don’t care…” He shook his head and his black hair swayed, the bangs framing his face brushing his cheeks. “What about you? Did Sephiroth and Sian give you any trouble?”

“It went pretty well, actually. Lots of progress. And Sephiroth is an even bigger powerhouse than I imagined.”

There was a moment of silence, during which Zack’s hands clenched to fists.

“What do you mean?” He asked through his teeth.

Sephya glanced at Zack, quirking an eyebrow, then focused on the enormous central pillar in the distance, dotted with countless white and red lights.

“I used a lot of mana, so…”

Sephya thought she heard a growl, but there were no wolves or the like in Midgar, not many stray dogs either, so it was probably just her imagination.

“So you took it from him?!”

“… Yes…” Sephya answered, trying to ignore Zack’s stare burning a hole in her skull.

“Like you did with me…”

It wasn’t a question anymore, but she still answered. “Not quite.”

“Are you trying to move on after trying to set me up with Aerith?” Zack asked after a pause that stuck around for far longer than it was welcome. 

Sephya sighed and focused on the rusty junk gathered on the other side of the stream, in the process of being covered with vines. It was a good metaphor for her feelings, a mess. And the kind no one wanted to deal with. 

“So you figured it out… Did you two hit it off?”

She made an effort to ignore the ice-cold fear making her heart seize as she spoke, not sure she wanted to hear an honest answer to her question. Aerith was sweet, quirky in a fun way, beautiful, feminine, and strong-willed. She could definitely capture Zack’s heart if given the chance. And everyone would be better off if she did…

“Yeah, she’s great and super fun to hang out with. We’re thinking of getting married next week, can you make it on Sunday?” Zack taunted, a smug smile on his sexy, kissable lips. 

Sephya offered him her best ‘screw you’ stare. “You’re an idiot.”

“When it comes to you, yeah.” He said, looking her in the eyes and showing her that he knew exactly what it was he wanted. Her. 

“I should go…” Sephya whispered, looking away to avoid getting drawn in by the longing and desire in Zack’s blazing blue gaze. 

“Don’t.” He said simply, his voice low and commanding. “I missed you today. Don’t push me away without giving me a chance to get to know you.”

Sephya was quiet for a moment, then sighed and hugged her knees, too tired to argue. “Fine. But I’m not telling you my entire life story today, and you have to  talk about yourself too. What do you want to know?” 

“Sounds good.” There was a smile in his voice and she found herself smiling too. “So, why can you use magic without materia?”

Sephya arched an eyebrow. “Really? That’s the first thing you ask?”

“Hey, I’ve been curious for weeks, cut me some slack.”

They both  chuckled.

“Alright, alright.” Sephya paused, choosing her words. “I’m a Cetra, a descendant of an ancient race of nomads who could commune with the planet and control the elements, to an extent. We’re going extinct, Aerith and I are the only ones left.” She paused again, knowing she could trust Zack but not wanting to go into too much detail and overwhelm him. Too bad everything about her existence was unusual and overwhelming. Complicated, too, thanks to Shinra and its world domination ambitions. “A long, long time ago, one of my ancestors was born with the ability to use a black magic spell too powerful for any one person to control. He went insane because of it and killed himself. Then, that particular black magic was removed from his body by the elders at the time, condensed into a piece of black materia, and sealed away with unique skills few even knew about."

“They thought that was the end of that, but when the next generation came around, another person was born with the ability to use black magic. Everyone feared that particular spell would be back as well, but it wasn’t. That person could use every black magic out there, except that one, and things settled down a bit.”

“Years passed, generations lived and died, and that particular lineage continued to produce black mages, dubbed ‘dark children’ by the elders. My ancestors saved a lot of lives when Jenova appeared and almost drove us to extinction, but still, we were feared and shunned. The Cetra were very peaceful people, you see. And we were necessary evils.” 

“Long story not so short, I’m all that’s left of those peaceful nomads, the latest evil, the last pure Cetra who ruined everything as soon as she cried for the first time. Aerith is half-human and unique in her own way, but that's a story for another time.”

Sephya half expected Zack to take off as soon as she stopped talking, or to feed her some sort of half-assed “I’m so sorry for your shitty lot in life” line.  He didn’t do either.

“Sounds rough, but you’re not evil. You’re reliable, loyal, and you look out for everyone. There’s nothing evil about you.” He said, looking into her eyes and smiling, confident in his words. Tears welled in Sephya’s eyes and she blinked them away, unable to formulate an answer. “Your turn to ask a question.” Zack continued when Sephya just stared at the water and rubbed her eyes.

“Why did you join SOLDIER?” 

Zack sucked in a breath and leaned back on his hands, gazing up at the plate.

“I heard stories as a kid, saw Sephiroth on TV, and I guess I idolized SOLDIER and the heroes who kept the peace. I was born in the countryside, Gongaga to be exact, have you ever been?” Sephya shook her head, Zack chuckled. “Pretty backwater place, so I’m not surprised. It's a small village mostly surrounded by dense jungle. Nothing ever happened there, and there’s a reactor right by the village too, so everything’s kinda dead close to it. I used to just play outside with the other kids, climb trees, fall from trees, get scolded after coming home full of scrapes and bruises, just pass the time without doing anything important.”

“It was either stay and live a boring life with a boring job and boring everything else, or leave and give my dreams of becoming a hero a chance. I basically ran away from home when I turned thirteen.” A playful, ‘oh well’ smile curved his lips and Sephya chuckled.

He was pretty brave, traveling to Midgar alone at such a young age, with no idea of what he would find there or how he would live. She knew that hardship all too well.

“Rebellious child, uh?” Sephya joked, nudging him with her elbow. They laughed, then she cleared her throat. “Alright, your turn again.”

There was a beat of silence, then, “why did you panic when we… ah…”

He trailed off but Sephya understood what he was getting at. And why he would be curious,  too.

“Moving on to the heavy stuff, uh?”

He leaned forward again, stretching his long legs and pulling at the wild, uneven grass at his sides. “Sorry, but… it bothers me that I hurt you without knowing what I was doing…”

“I see, that’s fair enough…” Sephya breathed, hugging her knees tight against her chest. She hated talking about that part of her past, but after what she’d put him through, Zack probably deserved to know. And it might also dissuade him from further attempts. For various reasons. “I traveled alone for months when I was eight years old.” Zack sucked in a breath, and Sephya got the sense that he was trying not to curse out loud. She continued. “It’s a long story for another time, the why’s of my lonesome travels. Let’s just say I didn’t have a choice, for now.”

“Those months were the worst of my life. Cold, cruel, lonely… I went through a lifetime of tears, begging for it to be over, to have my family back,” Sephya’s voice got caught by the lump in her throat and she swallowed hard, then took a deep, steadying breath. Zack remained silent, fists clenched and lips pursed. Sephya refused to cry over spilled milk again, she was stronger now, but the things that had happened during those months would haunt her forever. No matter how powerful she managed to become. “So much for that… anyway,” she cleared her throat. “I met some amazing people during that time, people who saved my life and made it possible for me to sit here today, talking to you. But as with everything else I ever cherished, they were taken from me, their lives put in danger.” 

“Despite being a weak eight year old who was tiny, malnourished, dehydrated, and so on, I rushed to save them. And halfway to Midgar, with the bleak and unforgiving badlands stretching out all around me, I ran into two men in a pickup truck who had less than noble intentions…”

Zack held up a hand and Sephya stopped, understanding his need to process things slowly. He brought his knees up, folded his arms on top of them, and slumped his head. A quiet moment passed, filled by the sound of water murmuring, occasional bugs buzzing by, foliage rustling as it got pushed around by a soft, chilly wind.

“Zack? Was my story so boring, it put you to sleep?” Sephya asked, caressing Zack’s broad back and making an effort to lighten the mood.

He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, then turned to face her and pulled her to him until she was sitting between his legs, leaning on his hard chest.  The fresh, clean scent of soap and light citrusy cologne reached Sephya’s nose, and her chilling skin greedily absorbed the constant warmth of his big body. 

“Did they…?” His voice was a broken whisper close to her ear, causing a chill to roll down her spine. 

“No. They groped me and pushed me down, touched wherever they pleased but…” Sephya grit her teeth, hating herself and them and everything. “I killed them. I burned everything, myself almost included. Their truck exploded while I ran, their screams followed me all the way to Midgar, and have haunted my dreams for years…”

Zack wrapped his arms around her and held Sephya tight. It felt like he was trying to shield her from everything, keep her all to himself, safely tucked against him, enveloped by his sweet, pure warmth and fresh scent.

She wouldn't have minded that. Not at all.

“I would have killed them myself if you hadn’t. You’re not evil, you defended yourself, you did nothing wrong.” Zack said, giving Sephya some breathing room and threading his fingers through her hair after removing the elastic holding it, undoing her braid.

She mewled, leaning into his caress; his fingers in her hair felt good, his touch, as usual, felt good. She couldn't handle the intimacy he craved, but she loved his company, his warmth, his increasingly familiar scent, his deep but still boyish voice, his sweet, sometimes teasing smile and expressive sky blue eyes.

“Thank you.” She breathed, relieved of a small part of her burden by his kind words, much like she had been relieved of other parts of the same burden years ago, by Aerith and Elmyra’s words. Ifalna's too, but those had been laced with the bitterness of permanent farewells... 

Zack kissed the top of her head and breathed, “I’m here for you.” Sephya smiled, trusting his words and feeling blessed despite all the trials life had already seen fit to send her way.

They sat like that for a while, enjoying the peaceful silence and each other’s company. Zack continued to caress Sephya’s hair and hold her close, comforting her without words. It was perfect. A rare moment without worry, fear, and violence.

The next day Sephya woke up feeling refreshed, but still confused about her relationship with Zack. She wasn’t good for him, she couldn't give him what he wanted, but she wasn’t sure she could stand seeing him with someone else. It wasn’t fair, but she wanted to keep him all to herself, as selfish a thought as that was.

She needed to tread lightly, or risk tripping herself up and taking everyone else down with her.

_ One week later_

“Again, why in Gaia’s name do I have to go on an assignment with _you_?” Alena barked in Sephya’s face for what felt like the hundredth time. Her punch line was getting old fast.

Sephya crossed her arms and focused her eyes on the world zipping by outside the armored car’s window. Rolling green hills, old towering trees, blue skies, birds, rocks, nature. She had missed it so much. 

“I don’t know, Alena, but I can throw you out of this car and end it all fast if you don’t stop complaining.”

Zack snorted from where he was sitting across from Sephya and Alena, and Alena fumed. The three of them on a mission… no wonder he preferred sitting alone.

“We’ll see how sassy you are when we’re surrounded by tamed monsters and Wutai soldiers. Don’t count on me to save your sorry ass when they don’t get discouraged by trash talk.” 

Sephya made a show of shivering, mouthing “I’m so scared.” It didn’t help  fix Alena’s temper.

“Alena.” Zack warned, slamming a foot down on the dull metal floor, done chilling with his legs crossed at the ankle. Sephya got a bit warm whenever he got serious, she might have a problem. Especially because he was also getting pissed at her for poking Alena. “We’re here to back each other up. If one of us is in trouble and the others can help, they help. I’ll send you back in a heartbeat and write up a report about why if I see that we can’t rely on you. You too, Sephya. Reel it in.”

“Yes, sir.” Sephya deadpanned, arching an eyebrow and aiming a cocky smile at Zack. 

His cheeks flushed a light shade of red and he cleared his throat, crossing his legs again and looking away. Alena watched the exchange and groaned, then got busy munching on her oddly manicured black and red nails like they were made of candy or something.

They were all quiet for most of what remained of the ride to the fort they were headed to, talking only about things necessary to the mission, such as strategy and how teamwork was going to suck between the three stooges. No, wait, that last part was just Sephya’s inner monologue. 

For better or worse, they decided to split up, divide and conquer, so to speak. Which was good, a basic loner SOLDIER strategy, they would cover more ground faster and only need to look out for themselves. Sephya wouldn’t have minded pairing with Zack, but she also had Aerith and Elmyra waiting back home, alone. Sort of. She couldn't risk failing the mission or prolonging it in any way, and she wasn’t willing to give Alena a chance to screw things up.

Sephya was in it to win it. And thanks to her training with Sephiroth, she was a small army all by herself. _Run and hide little soldiers and monsters__, run while you still can. _As a Cetra, she really should have been less eager to fight and hurt others, but she wasn’t built like that. Life had made sure of it, too bad.

“Well, we’re here. I got left, you go right and you go… to hell?” Sephya asked, taunting Alena with a smirk and rolling her shoulders.

“Dammit, Sephya!” Zack barked, then slapped a hand in front of his mouth. 

They were hiding among the dense foliage surrounding most of the stone fort, hidden by lush green trees and thick, tall grass, the scent of fresh earth and greenery all around. A paradise untouched by Shinra and their life-sucking reactors. For now. Night had fallen before their arrival, but the fortress had good lighting, both inside and outside, searchlights and everything, so sneaking could get tricky. 

“I am seriously gonna strangle you one of these days.” Alena hissed, and Zack slapped his own forehead.

Sephya felt kind of sorry for him,  having to be the responsible one because he was a rank above Sephya and Alena’s senior despite being the same rank. But Alena deserved  it. Every. Damn. Taunt.  Because a few days earlier, she’d had the bright idea to tell director Lazard that Sephya and Zack were getting too close for comfort  and getting distracted (obvious lie is obvious  but not to Lazard) , which could be bad among SOLDIER colleagues, as well as coworkers in general. Also, Shinra wasn’t fond of fraternizing, too distracted by relationships elite soldiers who would rather protect each other instead of the company and the pile of polished crap it called a reputation. 

Sephya and Zack had got a two hour long lecture about workplace relationships (not forbidden but also far from recommended) and a warning, and were currently on a shit list that required medium to heavy monitoring. Fun times. And they weren’t doing anything other than being friends.

“I’d like to see you try.” Sephya shot back, narrowing her eyes. She would much rather settle whatever Alena’s problem was with her in a fair fight, but Alena preferred underhanded tactics such as lying and getting people fired. 

“That’s enough you two. Do you realize we’re outside an enemy fort? On a _mission_?” Zack hissed, exasperated. 

Sephya reeled it in because she understood she had to. Alena didn’t.

“Why are you defending her? Because she spread her legs to a superior the first chance she got?”

Well then… Sephya wasn’t even sure where she should start with that one. At least she kind of knew what the “spread legs” remark meant, something she wasn’t completely innocent of but… she wasn’t going there.

“I’m not defending anyone and Sephya didn’t do anything. You’re crossing the line, Alena, and we have a mission to get to.”

Alena huffed and crossed her arms  under her voluptuous chest. She wasn’t wearing the SOLDIER uniform today – donning an all-black attired instead, consisting of leggings, a tank top  with generous cleavage,  and a vest with straps over and under the chest –  but neither was Sephya. Her uniform had been completed long ago, but was too  bulky to suit her fighting style and she’d asked Sian  and Sephiroth  for clearance to use her own equipment. It was better for everyone  to have her fighting at her best, with her own weapons and armor. 

“Who are you trying to fool, Zack? You think I don’t know you two have already--”

Sephya slapped a hand over Alena’s glossy lips, a bit harder than necessary. The woman’s red/pink lipstick stuck to her palm and she immediately regretted her decision, but two soldiers had marched out of the fort and were looking around with furrowed brows. Their unprofessional conversation was getting close to screwing up the mission.

“Mm-mm!” Alena fumed, unable to speak, grabbing Sephya’s wrist to try to pull her hand away. Sephya complied and quickly rubbed her too sweet smelling palm on the black fabric of her dress. “I see them, calm down. We’ll continue this later, I’m going on ahead.”

Before Sephya or Zack could say anything, Alena jumped out of cover, knocked out the two guards with the hilt of her longsword, then disappeared into the fort.

“Well, that could have gone better,” Sephya remarked, shrugging.

Director Lazard had brought it all upon himself if they failed though, by sending Alena to keep an eye on Sephya and Zack and playing right into her hands. He should have realized the three of them would make a terrible team.

“You think?” Zack shot back, crossing his arms and sighing. “Might as well follow her and get this done… You owe me a date if we can still finish this before morning.”

Zack winked and Sephya stifled a laugh. “I can finish this long before morning, but don’t you think a date is a bad idea? Lazard is onto our non-existent, steamy love affair, after all.”

Zack’s sudden heated gaze told her they weren’t quite on the same page when it came to non-existent romance, and Sephya swallowed hard, refusing to acknowledge any of the electricity that passed between the two of them.

She didn’t feel like she was completely responsible  for,  or in control of her actions when the two of them were alone together. She said and did things she had never even thought of saying or doing before, and the magnetic pull, the electricity in the air, the  dangerous, undeniable chemistry made her uneasy.  Whatever they had was like a force of nature, unstoppable, dangerous, and capable of breaking a lot of important things. 

“I couldn't care less about what Lazard is onto,” Zack said, all matter of fact. “See it as boosting the morale of a soldier by giving him something to look forward to.” He put on a cheeky grin and Sephya swatted his arm. 

“Fine, consider your morale boosted soldier.” She teased, matching his amused smile. “But you better bring your A game. Aerith and Elmyra are alone in Midgar, and you know how I feel about that.”

Zack didn’t know most of the details, but he knew that Shinra was a bit too interested in  Aerith  and the Cetra, thanks to their constant thirst for more power over everyone and everything. He also knew that they had already got their hands on Aerith before and that she was still being watched. 

“I know, and don’t worry, we’ll be back in no time. Tseng, that Turk you sort of trust, is looking out for them, too, right?”

“Yeah, but just as you said, I only ‘sort of’ trust him.” Sephya sighed, then an alarm went off inside the fort, startling her and Zack. Sirens blared loud enough to make the ears ring, people strained their voices, trying to bark orders louder than the sirens, and countless boots pounded against stone, the dull thumps loud as an earthquake. “You have to be kidding me… wasn’t she a master of stealth or whatever?”

Zack sighed, gazing up at the soldiers running through the walkway atop the fortress's high outer wall.

“Yeah but… did you really want to sneak around?” 

He cocked an eyebrow and Sephya grinned.

“No, but it was probably the responsible thing to do? Slower but safer, less messy…”

Zack  threw his head back and  laughed as she counted boring things off using her fingers.

“Are you describing someone’s grandma or is this still about the mission?” He taunted, grinning, and Sephya loosed an exaggerated sigh. 

“No one understands me…” she slumped her shoulders, then flashed Zack a knowing smile and they both laughed. “Alright, that’s enough joking around, let’s go help Alena. Consider this a gift from me, you can thank me later.” Sephya said, squaring her shoulders and getting serious.

Zack cocked an eyebrow as she brought a hand up to her chest, sensing the strong pulse of the lifestream all around them, then swiped it  through the air in front of her, moving down and across. The pounding of boots and paws and barking of orders in their general vicinity ceased as all the rushing soldiers and monsters collapsed, unconscious.  Long-range sleep spells were great  fun.

Invisible waves spread out from Sephya’s body, affecting only those with energies she didn’t recognize in a wide radius that even dropped some soldiers about to surround Alena, deeper inside the fortress. As any member of SOLDIER should be able to, Alena quickly turned the tables on the enemies left standing, unfazed by her invisible savior. Her strength was average but she was a reliable, hard-working soldier if nothing else.

“That was awesome.” Zack whistled, glancing up and around, taking note of all their fallen adversaries. “And don’t worry, I’ll thank you as much as you want during our date.” He winked and took off before Sephya could say a word, disappearing into the fortress, then reappearing on the walkway atop the high wall and saluting.

Sephya let out a bark of very unladylike laugh. “Maybe we should rethink that date!”

Zack shook his head, grinning. “No take backs! Now come on, we gotta finish this before morning!”

Sephya sighed as he took off. They were way too relaxed while on the job, if Lazard or Angeal found out their ears would fall off before the scolding ended. And that date wasn’t such a bright idea either… maybe she should drag her feet a bit, but then Zack and Alena would just finish the assignment by themselves and Alena’s head would get so big it might explode.

“Oh well…” Sephya whispered, resigned.

Before she could overthink things even more, she ran into the fortress and focused, sensing Zack and Alena and going to the places they weren’t covering.

Sephya went easy on the magic as she made her way to the fortress’s center, where Shinra was convinced its enemies were hiding a troublesome weapon. She was better at controlling her mana and wasn’t wasting nearly as much, but she couldn't afford to get careless on the field and drag everyone down when she collapsed.

So she stuck to her double-bladed scythe and good old punches and kicks. She only cut down monsters for the most part, and went easy and non-lethal on the soldiers. They were playing with fire with the whole monster taming thing, way too obsessed with dangerous materia, and honestly trying to kill her any way they could (one even threw clay pots after losing his weapon, and there were way too many spiky traps) but she refused to kill on Shinra’s behalf.

The two men she’d burned to death as a kid still haunted her nightmares and as a powerful individual, killing was a line she was honestly scared of crossing, especially after having crossed it once already. It was all too easy to lose oneself to power, to false senses of superiority, to seeing others as a means to an end, discardable lives when in reality there was no such thing as an existence without meaning.

The  assignment ended without incident, except for Alena tripping Sephya during their fight against the unique monster the people at the fortress had been breeding,  (bad temper and unprofessional, great combination)  and gifting her with a shallow but still fucking painful cut on the right thigh. She would pay for that one. When the time came. 

“Sephya, I know the road we’re on is crap and the car is shaking a bit, but you’re not helping. Sit still.” Zack complained, crouching in front of Sephya and pushing down on her knee to keep her leg still.

Alena chewed on her nails and fingers and probably would have bit off her entire hand if she could as she watched Zack give Sephya emergency first aid. Sephya had to smile at that poetic justice and its swift judgment. No one in their offense-oriented group could use healing magic properly, and they had all managed to forget the damn materia for it anyway.

They had barely even left the fort and already the universe was providing.

“I’m trying, Zack, but you’re tickling me.” Sephya lied, wriggling on purpose. She was dragging things out, but it was kind of backfiring on her.

Zack had rolled down her ripped thigh-high black sock and pulled off his gloves. His touches were electric shocks shooting straight to her core, and goosebumps kept breaking out all over Sephya’s skin, shivers kept rolling down her spine, and the heat pooling between her legs was turning into liquid.

She was  melting into a puddle and he knew it, smiling and purposely touching her more than he had to, discreetly ghosting his fingers over the inside of her thigh and almost brushing  against her sex when he’d pushed her dress up.  Good thing she was wearing black biker shorts as always  or he would have won a kick to the face for  exposing her underwear.

“Stop being a brat and let him work, Sephya! I’ll report it to Lazard if you keep flirting.” Alena complained, giving her unfortunate nails a break. There was barely any black or red polish left on them.

Zack groaned and finished bandaging Sephya’s leg, then pressed a kiss to her gauze covered thigh. Sephya gasped and wished there was no gauze in the way, then almost slapped herself, and Alena slapped the empty metal seat next to her.

“There, report that, tell them it was sexual harassment too, and get me fired.” Zack hissed, dropping down on the seat beside Sephya and pinning Alena with a cold, hard stare. “I’ll be sure to tell them about that time we went out for coffee, too.”

Sephya’s ears perked up. Coffee? Going out? Was the country road they were on still shit or was that Sephya’s world tilting sideways? And why in Gaia’s name did she have to care so much?!

The outrage on Alena’s face would have been funny if Sephya didn’t suddenly want to throw her out of the car. “That was nothing like what you’re doing with her!”

Zack sat back on the uncomfortable metal bench and crossed his arms. “And what _am_ I doing with her, Alena? Giving her first aid? Exchanging words?”

“You were making out in the infirmary!”

The grunt in charge of driving the armored car glanced back at them after Alena’s outburst, not amused in the least. Alena’s reports would be the least of their worries if the conversation continued on its current track.

“We weren’t doing anything, Alena. I was sick and he was helping, you assumed we were kissing all by yourself.” Sephya asserted, her voice even and cold. “I have no interest in getting close to anyone like that. And here’s some friendly advice, if you want Zack to like you and maybe risk getting fired for kissing _you_, then don’t ruin his friendships and get him fired for no reason.”

Hopefully that sounded convincing enough to dissuade both Alena’s and the scowling grunt’s reports. And it was mostly the truth anyway. Sephya had to admit there was something special between her and Zack, a powerful connection that was probably too precious to waste but also too dangerous to chase. So she was going to waste it before it grew thorns and poked holes in everything that mattered. 

Zack deserved someone who could make him happy, someone with fewer issues, who could give him a family, a future, not a broken Cetra who had become a murderer at the age of eight and was about to go extinct. Zack would understand and leave her alone soon, when she used their upcoming date to reveal the rest and worst of her truths. It was for the best.

“I never said anything about liking him or wanting him to kiss me!” Alena protested, eyes wide and cheeks red as tomatoes.

The driver glanced back again (if he kept  that up they would probably drive off a cliff before anyone could write any reports…) and Zack arched a brow, smirking without saying anything. Sephya noticed his cheeks were slightly flushed and  he  looked super uncomfortable,  adjusting his seating position over and over and tapping the metal floor with a heavy black boot. She would  probably  be the same, in his position.

“Alright, we got it, Alena. Save your confession for a more appropriate time and place and can it for now.” Sephya deadpanned, waving a hand dismissively.

Alena fumed, opening her mouth to say something, then realizing it was better to say nothing and biting her glossy lower lip.

Zack practically breathed a sigh of relief and Sephya leaned back on the bench, folding her hands on her lap, about ready to pass out. She needed to catch up on sleep.

Silence reigned for a while, broken only by the crunch of rocks under the armored car’s tires and the constant drone of the motor, with Alena taking advantage of sitting alone to use her bench as a bed, and Sephya hitting imaginary balls with her forehead, half asleep. Just as a memory of Zack’s soft lips and big, warm hands all over her blazing body invaded her brain and made her cheeks burn, he leaned closer and whispered in her ear. His proximity woke her up fast. 

“'no interest in getting close to anyone’ uh? Your lips on mine told a different story.” Zack’s minty breath fanned her ear and Sephya shuddered, swallowing a sigh that could have easily turned into a moan. Zack noticed her reaction and smiled, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, then licking and biting the shell of it. Good thing the driver was focused on the road for once and Alena was still sleeping. “You want me as much as I want you, and I’ll make you admit it, soon.” He breathed, then pinched the sensitive shell of her ear between his teeth one last time before moving away. 

Sephya couldn't say anything, couldn't even formulate any rational thoughts. Her heart was hammering her ribs,  her parted lips  tingled,  begging for his kiss, and liquid lust soaked her  underwear. She barely understood what it was she was craving, but she craved it anyway.  She was done for if she kept getting caught up in his flirty charm, she needed distance. But she’d just agreed to a date with the man who was quickly turning into her rational brain’s arch-nemesis. 

Fun times, and hooray for dumb decisions…


	16. Looming Shadow - Part 1

Zack’s next day off couldn't come fast enough. Sephya had agreed to a date and the week was slogging so much time might as well have just frozen for good.

He had reports to write, training exercises to get through, rookies to help turn into proper SOLDIERs, air to breathe and a brain in need of sleep, but he was doing everything on auto-pilot and staying up at night dreaming up ways to woo Sephya before some random “boyfriend material” schmuck did a better job at first impressions. Gaia knew, Zack had screwed that up royally.

Between panic attacks in elevators, weird moments in infirmary beds and shoving his tongue in her mouth way too many times without explicit consent… he was lucky there was  yet to be a restraining order  shoved in his face.  By Elmyra, who was nice, but definitely not big on her daughters getting close to members of SOLDIER. Or  _being _ a member of SOLDIER, in Sephya’s case.  And now she was spending a ton  of time with Genesis, too. And by a ton, Zack meant work assignments and occasional  five  minutes in the rest area, but  even that was five minutes too many. 

“Hey, Zack?” Zack glanced at Angeal, who was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed, next to a metal rack loaded with various different weights, watching Zack kill himself by way of squats. Knocking himself out with excessive training was becoming a regular thing lately… “Maybe slow down before you collapse and force me to haul your ass home. You’re heavy.” 

Zack snorted, not on board with slowing down. The burn in his lungs and muscles straining to keep up with his brain’s demands told him that he was going to be done soon, whether he liked it or not, but it was either knock himself out with exercise or knock Genesis out with a punch,  then drag Sephya to somewhere private and feel her downy lips again.  It had been way too long - since his last kiss with Sephya, not the Genesis punching. That was still a work in progress. 

“Just drag me to the infirmary, it’s closer. And send Sephya there to look after me, if you’re a good friend.” Zack said, smirking, then gritting his teeth as his almost cramping legs came close to giving out.

Angeal barked out a laugh, his booming, deep voice almost making the windows rattle.

“Of course this is related to her. What happened this time?”

Zack’s right leg cramped for good (but he was definitely getting close to breaking a few squats records at Shinra) and he finally gave up the struggle, falling back on his ass and not even caring that the floor wasn’t a comfortable surface to drop on. His legs hurt more.

“Why is she having so many mock battles and assignments with Genesis?” He asked, leaning back on his hands and pinning Angeal with a hard stare, certain he knew something.

Angeal cocked an eyebrow, unaffected by Zack’s stare. “Well, they’re both reckless powerhouses who enjoy fighting and trashing the simulation room before anyone else can use it… maybe they’d actually make a good couple. Can’t imagine what the house would look like after a week but at least there would only be one to trash.” Zack growled, actually growled loud and clear when he thought of Sephya being with someone else, allowing someone else to kiss her soft lips and touch her petite, athletic body whenever they pleased. Angeal’s eyebrows shot up. “I was joking, Zack, about the couple part, the rest is an unfortunate reality, so don’t bite my head off. Literally.”

Zack sighed, then pushed a hand through his black hair,  tugging at it in frustration.

“I know, I just can’t… I don’t know. There’s something about her, about me, about us… we connect and I don’t want to let her slip through my fingers.”

“What if you’re the only one who feels like that?”

“I’m not. She feels it too, I know she does…”

And Zack did know. Sephya had returned his kisses, every last one of them, despite his one-sided outbursts, she could have easily pushed him back and maybe even out a window when he touched her, but she hadn’t. She’d moaned and arched into his touch, allowed him to see her naked breasts, and even kiss them… He had to dial it back fast before he got hard in front of Angeal and lived to admire the awkwardness.

“What if you two being together leads to trouble and heartache instead of happily ever after?” 

“Why would it?”

“Because she’s not a regular girl and her heritage is a colossal burden she was born with and will probably die with. Maybe before her time. She’s already told you about that, right?”

Zack nodded, leaning forward and propping his arms on his knees. “Yeah… but is being a Cetra really going to give her so much trouble? She’s fine now, no one’s after her or trying to hurt her.”

Angeal rubbed the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment.

“Are you sure about that?” Zack quirked a brow. “I’m just speculating but I don’t think her life has been easy. She has the eyes of someone who’s been through a lot and was forced to grow up too fast. And Hojo is onto her, and her half-Cetra adoptive sister. The Turks have been trying to get her sister to collaborate with Shinra through ‘peaceful’ means for years, and Sephya was only sort of left alone because she’s dangerous and unpredictable, but it will backfire eventually.” 

“As soon as Shinra gets tired of trying to convince Aerith, they will get tired of the weary wolf guarding her as well and do everything to crush the resistance. Even Sephya wouldn't last long as a lone shield and as soon as she falls, all the apparent peace will come crumbling down along with her.”

“She knows this and the responsibility is a massive weight on her shoulders. It could happen any day and she has to be ready for it. She’s ready to die to protect what she loves, but are you ready to lose her? To understand why she would leave you behind in a heartbeat if she was forced to choose?” 

Zack was faintly aware of staring with his mouth open like an idiot. “How do you know all that?”

Angeal shrugged. “Most of it is guessing, and as a SOLDIER 1 st class, I get access to certain things you don’t. I know that Shinra isn’t all about maintaining the peace and giving people comfortable lives. I’ve told you that before. There are a lot of greedy people and over curious scientists around who couldn't care less about the well being of others  and would do anything to advance their research.” He pushed away from the wall and pinned Zack with a hard  stare that was dead serious and honed to perfection. “Sephya is getting promoted to 2 nd class at the end of  next week. She’s been here for barely over a month. Most of her assignments come from professor Hojo  and he’s been pushing to have her paired with Sephiroth on some missions. Settle down and think about  what  that  means  for a bit.”

Angeal sauntered out of the training center before Zack could say a word, too stunned and tired to even tell his mentor and friend to wait, much less rush after him. 

Sephya was getting promoted? How had he not heard about that? They were both busy with work and different assignments, and since she was getting special treatment from professor Hojo, Sephya didn’t even have training sessions with 2 nd classes. She’d been thrown right to the wolves and paired with a 1 st class like Genesis,  probably because Sephiroth was turning down joint assignments since anyone could remember,  but it was hard to admit they were spending so much time apart, Zack barely even knew what was going on in her life. 

One thing was certain though, Angeal had a point, and Zack needed to start facing reality before Sephya and/or her family got hurt.  And damn…  Sephya getting promoted meant Hojo could throw harder assignments her way without tipping anyone off.  Things were a lot worse than  he had thought and if Hojo kept pushing Sephya to the limit and exhausting her, Zack was probably going to get fired for throwing the gaunt professor off the top of the Shinra building. And he had a feeling Hojo wasn't even the biggest problem for Sephya, she seemed pretty used to dealing with him and his unique brand of crazy.  


Too bad Zack couldn't even begin to imagine what else there was to look out for. 

_ Three days later – day off_

It was about  four in the afternoon and Midgar was as dark and artificially lit as usual.  Even the sun was in a hurry to hide from the steel, concrete, and brick behemoth. 

Warm yellow lights illuminated the cobblestone streets and spilled through  countless  windows, and neon signs twinkled like stars, dotted all over the  busy  entertainment district. Loveless ads with  big gold letters; blinking, lit-up bar signs; ads for expensive clothing brands and exotic foods from faraway places a lot of people would never see, living out their entire lives in the convenient comfort Midgar provided. 

Zack knew Sephya would appreciate none of it. Not the stores, or the countless mixing smells of different foods  wafting out of restaurants and colorful food stalls; or the brick and cobblestone  and steel  without a splash of green in sight; or the crowded streets full of couples on dates, delivery men rushing  with boxes piled high in their arms,  and  groups of  fashionable  teens out shopping  and catching a movie. 

Sephya valued nature and peaceful places and living with the land instead of sucking it dry. She was reckless, enjoyed fighting,  and  could be pricklier than a Cactuar (which was fitting, because she was  also as dangerous as one of those deceitfully harmless creatures),  but most of her bravado was a front, Zack had come to realize. Deep down she was so similar to her adoptive sister they might as well have been real sisters. He’d caught them tending to the flowers together a few times and it had been a sight to behold. 

They were sweet and gentle, chatting with peaceful smiles and soft laughs  while making sure their little slice of paradise  in the heart of the sector 5 slums  remained healthy.  Even the grass seemed to smile back at them, and Sephya couldn’t have been more wrong about not being the type of Cetra who nurtures the planet back to life. 

And on a different note, Zack had also caught Sephya teaching Aerith how to fight and wield some offensive spells with the help of a staff, which had been enticing in a whole different way. He wanted to ask if he could sit in on one of those training sessions sometime. Watching Sephya fight or train was a turn on all by itself; she was agile, graceful, and unique. Her weapon was an extension of her body, and her magic flowed effortlessly, surging around her; bright as the rivers of stars in the sky, beautiful, and deadly. But somehow, watching her teach was even more enticing.

She was patient but also a bit of a drill sergeant, adjusting Aerith’s stances when needed and staying on the defensive so she could practice with a moving target. She made backflipping out of a spell’s blast radius look easy  and Zack was hoping they got the chance to train together soon, even though Hojo was hogging all of her time.

“Mm… she’s late. Maybe I should have picked her up at home after all.” Zack murmured to himself, glancing around the crowded fountain plaza, hoping to spot Sephya before he really started to regret going along with her request to not be escorted like some  incompetent princess.  Her words, not his. 

She could take care of herself, yes, but she was also tiny and if she got lost in a crowd it would be kind of like looking for a needle in a haystack. And she wasn’t familiar with the upper sectors either. 

Just as he was about to give up on waiting and call her, Zack spotted someone who sort of looked like Sephya, strolling in his direction while looking around at all the flashy storefronts and throngs of people responsible for the constant background buzz of mixing voices.

Sephya stood out in a crowd, as long as she didn’t get buried in a sea of considerably taller and generally larger people, but the Sephya Zack was currently seeing was wearing a skirt. With no visible shorts underneath. Was he hallucinating? She’d dressed up. The practical tomboy who hated skirts and heels and anything that got in the way of her high kicking and jumping around had made an exception. For him.

Zack had to blink to make sure she was real as she approached, spotting him and waving with a relaxed smile on her perfect,  rosebud lips. 

She was wearing a black pleated skirt, black, sheer  stockings , a loose fit white sweater, and  tan boots with a heel low enough to not hinder her movements. Her  light strawberry blond  hair wasn’t tied for a change, cascading down to her hips  with some natural waves and sways, and there was some kind of black choker around her pale, slender neck that had  Aerith written all over it and had  to be  her  idea of torture for Zack.

Sephya was a beauty without making an effort, a faerie with delicate, elegant curves, big jade eyes, skin smooth and luminous as a pearl, and downy,  pink  rosebud lips that begged to be kissed. But when she made an effort, she turned heads and got double and triple takes from both men and women. A reality that was currently unfolding and making Zack want to hold her close and kiss her hard enough to show she was taken. Forever. 

Zack was a good looking guy himself,  and aware of it,  currently  dressed in black, military cargo pants, black combat boots, and a black T-shirt that stuck close  to  his ripped body, but looks weren’t enough to win Sephya over and even his casual clothes were military related. He needed to diversify a bit, but work was never far for people like him and Sephya so it was important to be prepared and ready to move around a lot. 

“Hey, sorry I’m late, the trains were  delayed by some problem in the tunnels.”  Sephya said as she came to a stop in front of Zack, who was so busy ogling he forgot how to speak. Sephya waved a small hand in front of his face, frowning. “Helloo? Are you pissed because I made you wait?”  


“You dressed up.” Zack blurted without thinking, then  held up his hands when Sephya blushed, biting her lip and looking away.  _ Words, Zack, you’ve known them for a while now, and how to use them too. _ “Sorry, I meant to say you look great, and you should let your hair down more often.”  _ So I can bury my hands in those lustrous locks when I kiss you hard,  _ _ and wrap them around my fist when I fuck you. _

Yeah, maybe dial it back a bit, man. The date had barely started and Zack’s thoughts were already out of control, he was doing great. Sephya’s cheeks turned an even darker shade of crimson and she fidgeted with the bangs framing her face.

“Thanks… Aerith caught me putting on my usual clothes and would have thrown me off the planet if I refused to be a fashion victim.” She pulled down on the hem of her skirt, still biting her lip. Her cuteness could probably be used as a weapon. “There are no shorts under this… I insisted on the  stockings but it’s still bothering me.”

Zack pushed a hand through his spiky black hair. He could  _ not _ think about what was under that skirt, no, nope, he was not getting a hard-on in public.

“Remind  me  to thank Aerith, about a million times. And don’t worry, no one can see anything. Just avoid high kicks for today.”

He flashed a cheeky grin and Sephya narrowed her eyes and gave a half-smile.

“You don’t say… And I don’t think I like the idea of you two teaming up to get me into skirts.”

_ I can think of a few other things to get you into… my bed for starters, but skirts aren’t bad either.  _ Zack almost slapped himself.

“That sounds like a plan, actually.  You look good when you dress up.”  _ Too good, really.  _

Sephya sighed. “Changing the subject before the color pink invades my wardrobe,  where do you want to go?”

Zack laughed, then went through his plans in his head real quick. “Well, there’s a bar close to here that has darts, billiards,  live music  and good drinks and snacks. I was thinking we could walk around for a while, since you don’t know the upper sectors too well, then hang out at the bar and maybe catch a movie.”

For probably the first time in his life, Zack had given the dating thing some serious thought. Walking around was good for making conversation and enjoying the sights together, the bar was a chill place with awesome live music and games that would help keep an energetic girl like Sephya entertained, and the movie was just fun and a way to be close to her in a dark room with controlled privacy. Controlled as in discouraging him from pushing her down and finally feeling her lips again.

“Sounds good, let’s go.”

It was just like Sephya to run ahead and leave behind the person who was supposed to show her around. Zack grabbed her hand before she could get too far. She immediately spun to face him, cheeks flushed and  eyebrows pulled together. 

“Slow down. I’m supposed to be showing you around, remember?”

“Oh, right.” She gave a small laugh and tried to free her hand from his with a tug. He didn’t let her and she stabbed him with a pointed jade stare. 

“The city’s big and the streets are always crowded around here, we should stay close.”

Sephya’s glare didn’t soften. “I’m not a kid, Zack, and you’re huge, I’d find you in no time.”

“Well, yes, but you’re tiny and I could easily lose track of you.”

The death glare intensified. “You’re two seconds away from being set on fire. And are we really having this discussion? No thug in this city could pick a fight with me or try to rob me and just walk away intact. I’d be fine even if I was alone, Zack.”

She had a point and Zack had no arguments other than wanting to hold her hand. Why did she have to be a stubborn, overpowered descendant of a dying race? Why couldn't he have fallen for a normal girl, who might have felt safer sticking close to him?

“Sorry, but I don’t think you being small is a bad thing, just so we’re clear.  You’re cute, and I can always reach the top shelf for you.” He winked and flashed his best shit-eating grin, deciding on the fly to be a tease instead of helping his own case. Sephya  offered him a sugary smile as she willed a small flame to hover over the palm of her  free  hand. Zack’s eyes  went wide, she was seconds away from scaring the shit out of everyone around them. “Whoa, calm down.” He whisper shouted,  holding up his free hand. “I was joking, sorry.  And can you please just let me hold your hand? Because I want to?” 

There was a moment of silence, then Sephya sighed and closed her milky hand around the flame she had created, dissipating it and absorbing the green, glowing particles of energy left hanging in the air.

“Fine, but  I will burn your hand if you  mention my height again.” She said, relaxing and adjusting her grip on Zack’s hand. 

He had to smile despite her giving him a hard time. “Understood.” He saluted with his free hand and they both laughed. “Now come on, there are some cool places to see around here.”

Sephya nodded and fell into step beside Zack, keeping up with ease despite having considerably shorter legs.

They strolled for a while, with Zack pointing out stores he’d been to and recommended, points of interest in the city like special buildings or monuments, and sharing facts and curiosities he’d learned over the years.

Sephya wasn’t completely clueless about Midgar’s upper sectors, she’d been calling the  city home since she was eight, even longer than Zack, but she hated the place, had only stayed for Aerith’s sake, and made zero effort to explore, so there was a lot she didn’t know.  She was also borderline antisocial, unlike Zack, meaning she pushed people away so hard, they usually didn’t want to come back for a second round. So she didn’t get info from others or go out for fun either. 

During their stroll, they passed by a weapon and armor shop Sephya recognized and she dragged Zack inside so she could browse with stars in her eyes. She had unique preferences but it was charming to see her smile like a kid in a candy shop while examining top quality combat boots and protective armor plates.

Zack ended up browsing some gear as well while Sephya talked to the owner about weapon upgrades and adding some materia slots to her scythe. She had no use for most materia but she relied on a few white magic related pieces, to make up for her poor healing skills.

She hadn’t brought her scythe to the date (thank Gaia for that, Zack had been half expecting her to bring it along) so Sephya made an appointment to bring in her weapon another day and waved goodbye to the owner as they walked out of the small shop with a specialized smithy in the back. And the aging man, with graying  black  hair,  gunmetal gray eyes and a gruff voice glared at Zack a bit when he took Sephya’s hand in his again. 

“Are you a regular at that store?” Zack asked as they emerged from the quiet shop  and faced the busy, buzzing with life streets once again. 

Sephya nodded. “Yeah. I’ve known  the owner  since I was…” She glanced up at the cloudy sky, thinking. “Nine, I think. I wanted to get stronger, to protect myself and Aerith and Elmyra, but they didn’t like the idea of me fighting. So I snuck out one day while they were out shopping and found myself here after looking around for a good blacksmith." 

“I already knew how to fight to an extent, but had never trained with an actual weapon that suited me. The shop owner, Viktor, helped me design my scythe and adjust it over the years, and even gave me some training tips. He’s almost part of the family at this point, Aerith and Elmyra know him too, and he’s great at his job.”

Zack listened to Sephya with his ears perked as they strolled, absorbing all the information she was willing to share about herself,  glad to see her opening up. 

“Well, he was a cool guy but I don’t know about giving weapons to nine-year-olds.”

“That’s because most nine-year-olds don’t need to cut down monsters on a daily basis, unless they live in the slums or were abandoned when they were  seven.” Sephya retorted, then slapped a hand in front of her mouth and fixed her gaze on the  dark cobblestone under their feet. 

Zack frowned. “Abandoned?”

Sephya slowly shook her head. “Sorry, that’s not something we should be talking about right now. I’ll tell you some other time.”

“Yeah, I understand,” Zack said after a moment of silence, agreeing that it was hardly the time or place to be talking about traumatic childhood memories. Even if it killed him to know Sephya had suffered like that at such a young age, probably without anyone to rely on. “We’ve been walking for a while, do you want to head to the bar and relax for a bit?”

Sephya looked up, meeting Zack’s eyes and  offering a charming,  warm smile that said ‘thank you for  being patient' all by itself.  “My feet are starting to hate these heels actually, so that sounds great.”

“Awesome. And I can  always  carry you there if you want.” Zack  teased, grinning.

She bumped his shoulder with hers,  cutting him a Look. “Just for being a tease, I’ll force you to give me a piggyback ride back to the slums if I beat you at darts. And fair warning, I’m great at darts.”

Zack didn’t doubt her, but even if she sucked he would probably let her win. Anything to have his hands on her  thighs and her breasts pressed to his back. He’d take anything he could get with her,  even if it made him sound a bit desperate.  


“You’re on. But you’ll have to kiss me if you lose, how’s that sound?”

Win-win situation, all in Zack’s favor. He was officially having a great day.

“Terrible, and in your dreams.”  _ Ouch, and all the time sweetheart. _ “I only asked for some physical exertion, why would I agree to kissing all of a sudden?” 

Zack grinned. “Because you might not be as light as you look and the slums aren’t next door to the bar?” She was light as a feather, but that information would help no one at the moment.

“Did you just say I’m heavy after asking me to kiss you? You’re not great at this flirting thing, are you?”

Zack made a show of pondering Sephya’s questions, glancing up at the darkening sky, dotted with zero stars thanks to the clouds of pollution smothering the labyrinthine city.

“Mm, who knows… but are you seriously chickening out of a bet? Not confident in your abilities, Sephya? That’s not like you.”

Check. And. Mate.

“I know what you’re doing, Zack, but fine, you’re on. We’ll see who’s laughing after I wipe the floor with you.” 

Zack laughed. She'd fallen for his taunt on purpose, which said a lot about her confidence in her skills, but they were having fun anyway, so all was well. Sephya had some strong shields up, but she was fun to chase and Zack was cool with being a patient predator. As long as he could keep her by his side. And make no mistake, she was his, it was only a matter of time.

They kept up the lighthearted conversation as they strolled to the bar, taking a few shortcuts Zack knew of to spare Sephya’s feet. The place wasn’t too far from the weapon’s shop, a basement repurposed as a bar, with a colorful sign above a blood-red door leading to a lobby with a coat check and  fancy antique  sofas where people could  sit while  waiting for a spot if the place was full. 

The stairs leading down were carpeted to muffle the sounds of footsteps, and the floor of the bar was polished dark wood,  with matching chairs and round tables dotted around.  There was also a long  white and gray marble bar counter  with countless bottles displayed on lit-up  glass  shelves behind it, a raised, corner stage for the band, and an open area in the back with a pool table and four darts targets. 

The band was playing a relaxing jazz tune when they walked in and there were only a few people inside, some sitting alone on the high bar stools and two groups of office workers gathered around tables, blowing off steam and chugging cocktails like water in a desert.

Zack and Sephya sat on the stools lined in front of the bar counter, and Zack ordered a simple  drink that was low on alcohol  but still hard on the  taste buds,  as well some deep-fried snacks while Sephya thought about what drink to get. 

“Mm… I’m not used to drinking or places like these.”  Sephya said, glancing at Zack while he took a sip of the  amber liquid in his glass. “Is that any good? Let me  have a sip.”

She reached for the cup, unfazed by the idea of an indirect kiss, and Zack passed her the drink, smirking. He didn’t know any women who enjoyed that  mix, too bitter, burns too much were the usual complaints. Fruity, sweet cocktails were the common preferences. And he also didn’t know many women who would be unfazed by drinking from the same glass as the man they were on a date with.  Except for Cissnei, maybe.  


Sephya was on her own wavelength  though,  one  created especially for her, and she was conscious of Zack, he knew it, but she was conscious in her own inexperienced, don’t make a big deal out of nothing terms.

“Damn, that’s a good burn!” Sephya exhaled after squeezing her eyes shut and taking a long sip, leaving behind a reddish/pink smear of lipstick on the rim of the clear glass. “Hey, bartender, I’ll have one of these.” She called, getting the bartender’s attention and raising Zack’s glass. “Here you go, thanks for the sip.”

Zack took the glass  and set it down in front of him, tapping it with the pads of his fingers. 

“I’m surprised you like it. Most girls prefer sweeter drinks.”

Sephya arched a brow. “Oh? I take it you’ve brought a lot of girls here then?”

Well, shit. He had, actually, but he didn’t want Sephya to think he was a player going through the motions with her underwear coming off as the end game. In the interest of full disclosure, he did want to get into her pants/skirt/whatever, but that was far from being all he wanted from her.

“Well, yeah. I’ve been here a while, so I’ve gone on a few dates, mixers, drinking parties, stuff like that. I’m a sociable guy.” He winked, being his best cocky self, and Sephya chuckled.

“Can’t argue with that.” She said, smiling an easy, comfortable smile that made Zack swoon, then hitting him with the full force of her piercing jade gaze. He leaned closer to her on instinct, and was about to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear as an excuse to touch her when the bartender slid a white coaster adorned with a cartoonish design of a purple dumbapple on the counter and set Sephya’s drink down on it. She glared at the customized coaster for a second, and Zack cocked an eyebrow when mako surged in the depths of her eyes.  


What could be so upsetting about a coaster? It was probably something else... 

“Here you go, miss.” The young bartender, with bronze brown hair, a perfectly trimmed goatee, and a tribal tattoo on his temple said, flashing a panty-dropper smile and letting his forest green eyes wander a bit more than they should.

“Thanks,” Sephya said, returning the smile and sliding the coaster with the drink closer to her.

“Holler if ya need anything else.” The bartender, whose name was Hunter, Zack recalled, said before sauntering away to attend to other customers.

Sephya, still wearing a charming, laid-back smile, took a sip of her drink and exhaled as she set the glass down, oblivious to Zack’s silent struggle with possessiveness.

He wanted to touch her, her hair, her cheeks, her lips, anywhere and everywhere, get closer and closer until his touch was familiar to her, until he knew, she knew, the entire world knew she was his and he was hers and there was no use trying to get in between.

Zack had never felt so drawn to someone before, but there was something about Sephya that just felt _right_. She was cocky, loyal, a great soldier, witty and fun to talk to, complicated and intriguing, but simple at the same time; and it felt like she was tailor-made for him, someone who understood him and his way of life, someone he could have a future with. He just hoped she would realize their connection was special before some random Joe like Hunter, with a nice enough smile and good pickup lines ruined everything. And got Zack relocated to a jail cell for murder.

“Alright, small talk time, what’s your favorite food, Zack?” Sephya asked suddenly, rocking her glass and swishing the  amber liquid and ice cubes inside. 

Zack had to smile.  It was good to know she wanted to, well, get to  _ know _ him better. He wanted to get to know her better too, he wanted to know everything, the heartbreaking parts of her past, the details of her  troubled, dangerous present, and her fears and hopes for  the ever  uncertain future  that hopefully, he would be around for. He could support her and protect her better if he knew what was up, if he knew who the enemy to look out for was.  


“Well, that came outta nowhere, but alright. I have a few favorites but I think pizza is my go-to thing, the one with pineapples is my favorite. And the cherry pies my mom used to make are pretty great, too. What about you?”

“Mmm…” Sephya stopped moving her glass and stared at the ripples in the amber liquid for a moment, pursing her lips, pondering something. “My favorite is chocolate cake, but a very specific one.” Her jade gaze shifted from the glass to Zack, a small smile on her rosy lips. “Elmyra is a great cook, as you’ve no doubt realized, and she taught me and Aerith a bunch of recipes. I realized I love cooking thanks to her, and her chocolate cake is the best. I’ve made it so many times I could probably go through the whole process with my eyes closed at this point.”

“That’s awesome, you’ll have to let me try that cake sometime.”

Sephya nodded. “Sure, but be warned, no other chocolate cake will be good enough ever again.”

She chuckled and Zack joined her, then took a sip of his drink.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why do you like cooking so much?”

Sephya pursed her lips again, holding her glass with both hands and rotating it slowly with the pads of her fingers. Some teenagers using the pool table sent a bunch of balls rolling and clacking against each other, cheering and laughing about nothing, and a group of Shinra office workers settled around a table clinked their glasses, cheering loudly about some tough project being completed.

“I think I came to enjoy it because it’s so relaxing but active at the same time. You have to pay attention to what you’re doing, you move around, preparing the ingredients, you think about what would taste better and what the next step should be, you focus all your attention on making the best dish possible. And it’s fun to experiment and learn new recipes and slowly make them your own.” She paused, taking a small sip of her drink, then tapping the glass with her fingertips while meeting Zack’s unwavering gaze. He couldn’t pay attention to anything else in the bar, even as more people filled the space, Sephya and her confident, clear voice had his undivided attention. “What about you, any passionate hobbies?”

“Well, I play basketball with Angeal, Kunsel, and some other guys from work whenever we have time, and we teach kids in the sector 7 suburbs self-defense moves, play basketball with them sometimes, too. I’ve also surfed before, in costa-del-sol, and it was awesome but I don’t get to do it often. I’m always full of energy, so I like stuff that keeps me moving.”

“Well, that sounds just like you. I can’t imagine you spending a day lounging on the couch, watching  TV.” She chuckled,  pushing against the marble counter with both hands and leaning back a bit, glancing at the wood-paneled ceiling,  adorned by round,  recessed lamps spilling  yellow light. Zack  loosed  a low chuckle and took a sip of his drink. “But that’s interesting, I also teach kids self-defense moves down in the slums. There’s an orphanage close to our  cottage, the  Leaf  House, and the kids there are always full of energy. They run errands around town, help  old ladies cross the street,  give people directions, and always find time to play. Maybe you could tag along to one of our training sessions sometime.”

Sephya wore a warm smile as she talked about the kids and Zack’s heart skipped a beat when she aimed it at him. He was seeing a different side of her, the relaxed, warm and caring side she reserved for those she cared for dearly. For Aerith, Elmyra, the kids at the leaf house, and maybe, a bit for Zack himself as well.

“Of course, I’d never say no to some training.” He gave her a thumbs up and grinned, overeager and wearing his heart on his sleeve as usual,  and she chuckled. Zack had noticed the orphanage before, it was hard to miss because it was on the way to Sephya’s house, a red, exposed brick building with green ivy covering parts of the walls and a makeshift playground out front. Seeing the kids play there always put a smile on his face. “Oh, right, since you mentioned tagging along, would it be cool if I sat in on one of your training sessions with Aerith  as well?” Zack had meant no harm with the question, it had just popped into his head and he’d decided to ask because he was honestly curious. 

Both Aerith and Sephya had unique abilities that set them and their fighting styles apart from anything Zack was used to, and as someone who fought for a living, he was always interested in learning about other skill sets.

“Why? I don’t  need  any help with training Aerith.” Sephya  practically growled,  jade gaze as sharp as a blade to the throat and  lips pressed together. 

And there it was. She was like a lioness protecting her cub, even if her cub was hardly defenseless, and Zack wasn’t quite out of the “affiliated with Shinra” shit list. It was a tough pill to swallow.

“Hey, relax, I’m not a spy or anything. I just caught a glimpse of you two the other day and got curious. Is that bad?”

There was a moment of silence, during which Sephya kept her laser sight eyes on Zack, evaluating his every breath, blink, twitch, you name it. He had no idea if he looked guilty to her or not, but then she sighed and shook her head, stared at the brown liquid left on the bottom of her glass as if it held the answers to all the questions in the universe.

“Sorry, it’s just… there are still things they don’t know. About her powers and what she can do, and I want to keep it that way for as long as possible.” She paused and sucked in a breath, then gulped down the rest of her drink. When she spoke again, she was whispering. “You probably don’t know this but, the researchers at Shinra want her, _us,_ to…” She bit her lip, a charming, faint pink flush creeping up her cheeks. “to reproduce. They want more test subjects, to see what kind of offspring we’ll create… Hojo is already pissed because-” She cut herself off, shaking her head and worrying her lip.

Zack furrowed his brow and his cheeks warmed when he thought about what it meant for Sephya to “reproduce”, then his fingers coiled around his glass, gripping so hard it was a miracle it didn’t break when he thought about how much danger that child would be in if Hojo was already making plans for him/her. An alarm started going off in the back of his mind. Whatever Sephya was hiding, it was big, it was already in motion, and if left alone, it was going to blow up in everyone’s faces like the planet’s worst fireworks show. 

“Because?”

Sephya shook her head again, staring at her now empty glass, wrapping her long, pale fingers around it, gripping it with both hands.

“Nothing. This isn’t a conversation we should be having here, I’ll tell you later.” She finally faced him again, pleading with big green eyes for him to understand and let it go. Zack swallowed hard. “I’ll think about what you asked and let you know before our next training session.”

She was already changing the subject. Whatever was going on, Zack wasn’t going to solve it or find out about it today. He’d have to be patient for once, but he’d be damned if he was going to stand around, doing nothing while Sephya fought her battles alone for the millionth time in her life.

She wasn’t alone anymore, she would never be alone again, not if he could help it.


	17. Looming Shadow - Part 2

“So, you still owe me a game of darts and a piggyback ride down to the sector 5 slums. How about it? Up for getting your ass kicked?” Sephya  taunted sometime later, after both of their glasses were empty, all the fried stuff was gone, and their conversation had suffered a high-speed crash against the wall that was Shinra and the danger it represented to Sephya and her family.

At least she was smiling again, instead of fulminating Zack with her stare and showing him that the gap between them was still too wide to even consider jumping over. And as a SOLDIER, Zack could jump  higher and further than a cat on steroids. 

“Confident, uh?” Zack  put on his best cocky  grin, which Sephya matched with one of her own. “Don’t forget you’ll owe me a kiss if you’re all talk.”

She laughed in his face and hopped down from the high stool, confident, beautiful, and proud. And getting ogled by the bartender again.

“We’ll see who’s all talk, come on.”

She sauntered to the back of the bar, where the teenagers were still gathered around the pool table, two boys playing and two girls watching closely, both with their eyes on the same fortunate, maybe somewhat unfortunate as well, blond guy.  The female lead singer for the night filled the space with her classy, deep voice, and the bass of the melody beat in Zack’s chest as he followed Sephya with a smile on his face.

As it turned out, Sephya was a force to be reckoned with at darts. She had laser sights for eyes or something, and the darts always  cut through the air, swift and precise, landing exactly where she wanted. Zack was pretty good himself, and had got a lot of practice over the years, but it would probably take a robot to beat Sephya. 

“Damn…” Zack  muttered to himself as he missed by a hair and lost his chance to even the scores. It was their fifth and final game (he’d won twice, somehow), and  even  some of the  other  customers in the cozy bar were now paying attention to their showdown.  The bartender almost dropped a bottle or two as well, trying to split his attention between his work and staring at Sephya whenever she got a turn.  “How did you get so good at this?” Zack asked, glancing at Sephya who was examining the digital scoreboard, a triumphant smile on her rosy lips. 

“There’s a shop in the sector 5 slums  with enough space for a darts target. It gets kinda cramped sometimes and there’s an old jukebox instead of live music, but Aerith and I love to go there and chill. I’ve had a lot of practice.” 

She winked, a cheeky smile curving her delicate,  rosebud lips, and Zack sighed, shaking his head.

“Oh boy… I guess my back is in for a beating.”

He laughed and Sephya swatted his arm, then took her place in front of the target, the triumphant smile of a winner on her lips, and the glimmer of happiness in her big green eyes.

She took aim, pinching her lower lip between  pointy canines and squinting a bit, and finished the game with yet another precise throw. Zack’s cock twitched  in his pants as he  admired her  effortless elegance and skill, wishing he could kiss her again, and press her petite body to his, and feel every inch of her silky skin with his lips and hands. 

“Well, that’s that. Hope you’re ready for some exercise.” She taunted, turning to face him and linking her hands behind her back.

“Yeah yeah, you got me,” Zack said, waving a hand and making a show of being disappointed. “But I’m not walking all that way without getting some food in me first. What do you say to getting some pizza?” 

Sephya chuckled, covering her mouth with a hand and  looking so feminine and pretty, Zack almost pinched himself to make sure she was real and not just a figment of his imagination. The otherwordly quality to her beauty made him feel like she was just out of reach sometimes, a mirage on the horizon that his hands would just phase through if he ever managed to get close enough.  


“Well, I am kinda hungry.” She patted her flat stomach, hidden under her loose white sweater. “And I don’t think I could ever say no to pizza.”

They smiled at each other, then settled the bill and strolled out, their hands brushing as they walked and fingers lacing a moment later. 

The touch was comfortable and effortless, and more than anything, it was  _ right. Sephya’s soft, small hand fit perfectly in Zack's bigger, rougher one, and she matched his walking pace without missing a beat.  _

__

Until she didn’t.

__

They had barely taken ten steps away from the bar when Sephya stumbled, then doubled over, clutching her chest with her free hand and gripping Zack’s hand with the other. She paled in seconds and her breathing became labored, her chest rising and falling rapidly and lips parting. 

__

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Zack asked – keeping his cool as a soldier should  but inwardly blaming himself for not noticing Sephya wasn’t feeling well – and moving to stand in front of  her, putting his free hand on her shoulder. 

__

“It’s…” She started, then stumbled forward and pressed a palm and her forehead to Zack’s chest. He noticed she was shaking as she tried hard to regulate her breathing. “I’m sorry, Zack. I think… all those battles Hojo has me fighting for his research are… finally catching up to me…”

__

Zack gritted his teeth, holding back a string of curses. Fucking Hojo, he was going to regret pushing Sephya when Zack got his hands on  him. 

__

Wrapping an arm around Sephya’s slender waist, Zack pulled her close and stroked the small of her back with his thumb, allowing her to siphon a bit of his mana. She relaxed against him, her breathing slowing, her cold skin warming until she was no longer shivering. He felt her warm breath on his chest through his T-shirt and their fingers entwined. 

__

People passed by them on the sidewalk, their gazes lingering, questioning, judging the public display of affection without knowing anything. Zack couldn't care less. Sephya needed someone to lean on and for as long as he drew breath, he was willing to be her rock and her shoulder to cry on whenever she could no longer stand the weight of the world on her shoulders. He just hoped she would tell him about that burden someday…

__

“Any better?” He whispered, caressing the back of her head  and threading his fingers in her soft, lustrous hair.

__

He felt her nod against his pecs.

__

“Yeah, thanks.” She whispered into his chest, then sucked in a breath and took a step back, looking up at him. “Sorry about all that…” She blushed and worried her lower lip between her canines. “The assignments have been getting more and more intense, and I’ve been feeling tired, but I didn’t think it would get to me like this. And so suddenly, too…” 

__

Zack frowned. “Why do you keep going along with him? You can write a report about how it’s getting to be too much and refuse him.”

__

Sephya shook her head slowly, resignation  on her face. “If I don’t keep him occupied, if I stop being his shiny new toy, he’ll go back to harassing the Turks so they’ll harass Aerith. I’ll keep him busy for as long as I can,  and take advantage of the access privileges in the meantime.”

__

Zack growled, pulling Sephya close again and pressing her to his chest. There was no way he was letting Hojo keep using Sephya as a glorified lab rat. The creepy fuck had better take his  science  experiments elsewhere before Zack completely lost his shit and threw the  guy into a room full of his little experimental weapons, locked the door, and tossed the key. Too bad he didn't have enough authority within Shinra to actually get in Hojo's way without earning himself a juicy suspension, preceded by a boring speech from Lazard.  


__

“I understand that you want to protect Aerith, but you have to stop taking on the world by yourself,” Zack said, caressing Sephya’s long hair,  loving  the way she molded against him, safe in his arms where he would let nothing get to her. “You’re not as alone as you think. You have me, and Aerith, and Elmyra, and Sian, in her own weird, aloof way.” They  both  chuckled at that. “We all care about you, and Aerith  _ isn’t _ and  _ won’t _ be happy with you putting her on a pedestal and getting hurt. Let her in, let  _ us _ in, before it’s too late.”

__

Sephya shook her head and pushed away from Zack, swaying in place for a second.  She was still too pale, and he hated her stubborn belief in being a one-woman army.

__

_ “You don’t understand… you haven’t seen them. Her future, our _ future is-”

_ Not him. You will not speak another word.  
_

Before she could finish, some kind of invisible force slammed into Sephya's chest and she doubled over, a pained  whimper slipping through her parted lips. She was about to fall forward when Zack caught her, wrapping his arms around her, confused out of his mind  as he shielded her with his body  from some dark robed creature he caught slipping away right after touching Sephya.

What had just happened? He’d felt a presence lurking around them before Sephya had been interrupted by some invisible punch to the chest. What  _ them _ had she been referring to?  What kind of monster had he just seen?  And could she see the future on top of using magic without materia? Just how powerful were the Cetra?

There were way too many questions, but the top priority at the moment  was making sure Sephya was safe, so the answers would have to wait.

“Calm down, Sephya. Let’s go to my apartment, for now. It’s close and you can get some rest, alright?”

He half expected her to tell him to buzz off, that she’d rather drag herself back to the slums than be alone with him at his place, but she just nodded and pushed away from him again, covering her eyes with a hand and taking a few deep breaths.

“Lead the way.” She  whispered a moment later, her voice  breaking a bit, but  there was a defiant glint in her glowing green eyes.  The mako was active, she was hurting  but too proud to show it,  and  for a moment, Zack hated the planet and all the crap it threw at her on a regular basis. 

**********************************************************

Sephya  followed Zack into the dark apartment  after leaning on him for the duration of their walk to the glitzy skyscraper owned by Shinra. The place was heavily guarded, luxurious, towering over  pretty much everything but the Shinra building, and home  only  to members of SOLDIER and high ranking people within  the company. Each gigantic floor had only two apartments in it, and the top five only had one and were accessed by special keycards and passwords in the elevator.

Zack flipped the light switch beside the black  and gold  front door  as he strolled into  his home, pushing a hand through his  dark  hair, and Sephya closed things up behind her, then slipped out of her low heel  boots and aligned them with the white wall beside the door. 

“Oh, that feels nice.” She said, sighing and wriggling her toes as the cold of the polished gray and white marble floor slipped through her dark stockings, breathing new life into her sore, burning feet. “The women who manage to wear heels all day, every day, are secretly heroes.” She joked, smiling a bit now that she was feeling better, lighter somehow, despite the lingering fatigue.

That accursed creature had said  _ not him _ though… Not him what? Why were those things showing up again now, after being gone for years?

Zack smiled, making his way to the kitchen area of the open-plan, minimalist apartment. “I’ve heard it gets easier when you wear them often.” He said as he grabbed a small bottle of water from the gunmetal gray fridge. “Here, drink and get some rest. The living room’s right over there.” He motioned with his chin to the other side of the wide kitchen/dining room/living room space  and passed Sephya the cool plastic bottle. “I’ll order some pizza and take you home after we eat, alright?”

Sephya nodded, turning the bottle cap and realizing her mouth was sandpaper dry as she brought  the bottle to her lips. “Sounds good, thanks.” She said after taking a big gulp, feeling the chill of the water  slide down her throat and  spread in her  chest. 

She noticed Zack was being kind of distant, moving away from her right after handing her the bottle and getting busy looking at some takeout menus stuck to the side of his silver fridge by  tiny black  magnets. His expression was  stern and his muscles were tense, so she decided to give him some space. Maybe he was tired of the drama that followed Sephya everywhere, no matter how fast she ran from it, and she couldn't blame him if he needed to catch a break. She could have used one herself.

Sipping water as she walked, Sephya made her way to the living room, her steps light and silent. She noticed Zack wasn’t big on furniture and decorations, he had the essentials and little else. There was a light gray  L shaped couch by an impressive wall of floor to ceiling windows, a fluffy, black and white rug in front of it with a black glass  coffee  table on it, a low TV stand in the same light gray tone as the couch with a big, almost flat TV on it, an impressive sound system with standing soundbars, and an electric fireplace in a corner with two small white couches close by. 

Sephya set the half-full bottle of water down on the glass table and strolled over to the floor to ceiling windows, examining the night view of Midgar beyond the thick pane of glass, with countless lights twinkling like the stars they couldn't see in the dark sky above. It was beautiful, in the same way a rose riddled with thorns was, promising pain if you got careless. 

Sighing, she pressed her warm forehead to the cold,  clear glass, closing her eyes and inhaling through her nose, then parting her lips and exhaling slowly. The air in the apartment smelled like Zack, citrusy, and fresh, and something else that was distinctly his, some masculine spice that had clung to her clothes, sheets, and bedroom in general after that night when they’d both lost it. The  unique scent made it feel like he was everywhere in the wide space, caressing her with invisible hands, making her skin tingle and her mind fuzzy. 

“You need to stop, Sephya.” She whispered to herself, opening her eyes and staring at the living, breathing city down below until her  retinas burned. 

She was about to turn around and go sit on the couch or something when she sensed him coming closer. She lifted her head from the window but stood rooted to the marble floor, holding her breath, feeling her heart jump and beat faster in her chest.

His steps were almost as quiet as hers, despite him being twice her size, revealing how much control he had over his body as a soldier. Sephya didn’t know what she was expecting, why she was expecting anything at all. She was supposed to be distancing herself from him, not going on dates and imagining his hands and lips on her body, and breaking out in goosebumps.

Regardless, she remained perfectly still while Zack stalked closer, sensing his masculine presence as he stopped right behind her, his  chest almost brushing her  back. The mood shifted, time and space stood still, breaths were held, electricity crackled between them and a single, stupid and reckless word flashed in her mind like a bright neon sign.

_ Mine. _

She wanted to bang her head against the glass until it  shattered, then fling herself through the hole. Too bad the windows were probably reinforced and bullet  and magic  proof. 

“You alright?” Zack asked, his voice a  rich, low  rumble in Sephya’s chest.

“Yes.” She breathed, her voice husky and foreign.

She couldn't turn around, she couldn't look at him, no matter what. Dark, barely contained lust was coming off him in waves and he was so close she could feel the heat emanating from his slightly tan skin. If she saw his eyes, blue as the sky on a clear day, if she saw the fire in them, she would lose it. And she could still remember how well that had worked out before.

“Look at me.” Zack whispered in her ear, pressing his chest to her shoulder as he leaned closer.

A shiver rolled down Sephya’s spine as his warm, dewy breath fanned the shell of her ear  and she bit her lip hard, shaking her head slowly.

“I can’t.”

He came closer, pressing his palms to the glass on either side of her body, boxing her in, his body now brushing against hers, dwarfing her petite frame.

She should have been terrified, panicking, running as if her life depended on it, but yet again, she wasn’t. She was burning with desire, greedy for more, for everything he had to give. She was being her best reckless, irresponsible self, instead of growing a damn spine and pushing him back before they took things too far again.

“Why not?” He asked, pressing his lips to the top of her head, kissing her softly and breathing in her scent.

Sephya pressed her lips together and squeezed her eyes shut, mustering every last drop of self-control in her body.  _ Don’t think about kissing, don’t think about kissing, of course she thought about kissing… idiot. _

__

“We can’t do this.”

__

“Do what?” She heard the smug smile in his deep voice and it pissed her off.

__

He was ruining her, breaking down the walls she had taken years to build around herself with charming, confident smiles, witty remarks, kind, quiet support, and burning hot lust. He was vibrant, strong, and full of life, and he made her feel like she was all those things as well, like she could enjoy life again, have hope and be free.  As if… there was no jumping off the train she was on, not as far as she could see, at least.

__

And there was a steel and concrete wall waiting at the end of the line.

__

“Why me?” She asked, whirling around to face him.

__

Big. Mistake.

__

His eyes bore into hers, blue on green, out of control  lust versus about to shatter self-control, and Sephya stepped back, pressing her back to the cold glass.

__

“Why not you?” Zack growled, coming closer, undressing her with his dark gaze.

__

Sephya resisted an urge to roll her eyes until they popped out of their sockets, but got snarky anyway. “You want a list? I can write one real quick and tape it to your fridge to make sure you don’t forget.”

__

Zack laughed low for a second, then his soft, pouty lips crashed down on hers before she could react.

__

His kiss was as rough and desperate as before, making Sephya’s body  tingle as heat pooled between her  thighs. His hot, wet tongue traced her upper lip, coaxing her to open for him, and she tried to resist, even pressed her palms to his chest and pushed a bit, as pitiful as that sounded, coming from someone who could weave tornadoes and freeze a small town with the flick of a wrist.  It was all pointless. If anything, his toned, hard chest under her palms only stoked the already raging flames of her desire. 

__

Her lips parted and she  groaned when his tongue found hers, circling, stroking, teasing. His hands roamed her body, one sliding down to the small of her back, the other going up to the back of her head,  his long, rough padded fingers caressing the nape of her neck before  tangling in her hair and pulling, angling her head back and  deepening the kiss, invading her mouth with his tongue and conquering every corner.

__

His rough handling should have been scary  and overwhelming to her, but it was hot  and intoxicating instead. Because he’d already broken down most of her walls before ever pulling her hair and kissing her senseless, because he’d burst into her life with a friendly smile  and eyes the color of freedom and got under her skin and into her heart without her even realizing it was happening. 

__

_ And maybe that’s why…  _

__

She returned his hungry kiss with renewed passion, slipping her hands under his black T-shirt and tracing the hard ridges of his six-pack, swooning like the lust struck idiot she had never thought she would be at the prominent V lines she lost halfway when she reached the waistband of his cargo pants.

__

Zack groaned and practically squished her against the fogging window, grinding something long and hard against her pelvis while his lips and tongue marked her forever with an invisible brand. The sweet, tart taste of apples lingered on his tongue, surprisingly the taste of Sephya’s favorite fruit, and she wondered if he’d taken a bite of one while she fought with herself by the window, maybe while fighting a similar battle with himself.

__

“Having you here is messing with my head… you need to push me away, Sephya.” Zack breathed as he trailed kisses along the line of her jaw, then licked and nipped the shell of her ear.

__

A moan escaped Sephya’s flushed, parted lips and she angled her head to give him better access, sliding her hands up his sides and to his back, sensing his tight ropes of muscle tense and relax under her palms. Zack growled and released her hair, trailed wet kisses down her neck while his hands slid to her ass, squeezing the firm cheeks possessively.

__

“Zack…” Sephya breathed as his big, warm hands snaked under her sweater  and found the edge  of  her simple but cute white  and navy blue bralette. Her panties matched it too, because Aerith was a force to be reckoned with and had “convinced” Sephya to rescue the matching set of underwear from the depths of her closet. “Just in case” she’d said with one of her trademark knowing smiles, then followed that up with, “but don’t get too crazy” and winked. 

__

Zack sucked in a breath as his fingertips ventured higher, noticing she wasn’t wearing a sports bra as his fingers brushed her hard nipples over the soft fabric.

__

“This is killing me…” He groaned, then captured her lips in a searing, hungry kiss that short-circuited Sephya’s brain.

__

She didn’t know what to do with herself anymore, where to put her hands because she wanted to touch and taste every inch of him, what to say because she knew they should stop but would rather die than  deny herself the incredible, all-consuming pleasure that was Zack Fair and everything he did and said to her. 

__

Noticing Sephya was pretty much done resisting, Zack pushed her sweater and bra up with one hand, and his mouth latched onto one of her nipples while his free hand gripped her ass and pressed her pelvis to his hard body. Heat emanated from his skin and through his clothes, his hot tongue left her breasts wet and sensitive, his teeth pinched her nipples, and Sephya was losing her mind. She squeezed her thighs together, seeking the same heady friction that had flung her over the edge last time as her insides clenched on nothing, craving things she was too naive to even imagine. 

__

“I can help you with that if you want,” Zack said, giving her oversensitive breasts a break and flashing a sexy smile that was deadly on his pouty, kiss stung lips.

__

“Wha…?” Sephya half sighed, half moaned, floating in a fog of pleasure too dense to break through.

__

“Down here.” The hand Zack had on her butt circled around to her pelvis, then slid lower, stopping right before reaching her core. “I can make you come.”

__

Come? What? Where? Sephya was regretting dismissing Elmyra when she’d tried to have the birds and bees talk with her and Aerith. After almost being raped and having no intention of ever reproducing, Sephya hadn’t seen the point in sticking around for the uncomfortable conversation  partly regarding the  naughty bits of men she wanted nothing to do with. Talk about things coming back to bite her. She was leaping without learning how to jump and saying it was overwhelming was  the understatement  of the century. 

__

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Zack,” Sephya whispered, glancing down at his hand still pressed to her heated body and biting her lip.

__

She noticed the bulge in his black pants then, saw it clearly for the first time, and her cheeks caught on fire. She knew what it was despite having never seen one, knew where it was supposed to go and sort of what it was supposed to do, but there had to be something wrong with her basic knowledge of sex because there was no way something that big would fit inside her when she even had trouble pushing a finger in.

__

“Then let me show you.” Zack’s rough voice dripped with lust in her ear as he slid his hand lower and pressed his fingers to Sephya’s core over her clothes.

__

She half-moaned, half-whimpered, bending her knees and clinging to Zack’s arms as her legs turned to jelly. He pressed a bit harder and  she sucked in a breath,  leaning her forehead  on his broad chest and squeezing her eyes shut, inching her hips away from his hand, then coming closer again, unable to make up her mind about what she was feeling.

__

“Want me to stop?”

__

Sephya shook her head on instinct, drunk on pleasure, but then she opened her eyes and reality hit her square in the face.

__

She was in the arms of a man and he was big, in more ways than one, and she was clueless and inexperienced, and he wanted to… _No! _She screamed in her mind when she thought about what they would end up doing if she didn’t hit the brakes hard for the both of them.

__

Finally, _finally_, Sephya was scared. She liked Zack and trusted him to an extent, but she wasn’t in love, not yet at least, and she wasn’t ready  to  feel vulnerable in his arms, naked and willing to take him inside her body. Especially when she had no clue how that would even work. They were going too fast again, and it was time to stop. It was time to set boundaries.

__

“Yes. Please stop.” She said, lifting her head and meeting his eyes, willing the fire raging in her body to cool off and be replaced with the  icy  determination she needed to do the right thing. To not be dissuaded by the disappointment in Zack’s sky blue gaze as he took a step back, the green glow of active, riled up mako in his body present in his eyes as Sephya collapsed against the window, a bit dizzy and a lot frustrated.  Her sweater slid down, ghosting over her still hard, sensitive nipples. The rolled-up bra underneath made her feel exposed even with the sweater  covering everything.  “Please try to understand, Zack. This isn’t right, you’re not in love with me, and I’m not in love with you, we just have a lot of chemistry, but that’s not enough. Not for me, who would have to risk everything to be  in a relationship.” Zack ran a hand through his hair and worried his lip, and Sephya desperately searched for the words that would help her make him understand, knowing his frustration was probably a lot worse than hers.  Because knowledge could be a curse and he knew what it felt like to be  intimate  with someone, while Sephya had no clue and was haunted by fear  and painful memories. “We’re not equals, Zack. You’re the only man my lips have ever known-” He groaned at that and his dark, lustful gaze made Sephya lose track of what she was saying for a moment. She cleared her throat. “What I mean is, you showed me what pleasure is, all I know, I know from you and I could be falling for you, not because of you, but because I’m intoxicated and blinded by the things you do to me.  For this,” she moved her hand back and forth in the space between them. “for  _ us, to have a shot at being anything real, you have to let me go.” _

_ __ _

Zack gritted his teeth and pushed a hand through his hair  again,  tugging a bit harder than necessary. “If you’re telling me to let you go so you can kiss other guys, then you better make sure they can run fast if I ever find out,” he growled, making thousands of butterflies dance in Sephya’s belly and  liquid  heat pool between her thighs.

_ __ _

His desire and possessiveness made her feel wanted, attractive, like a woman instead of some kind of evolutionary tool of war, one half of a duo of destruction in a well-oiled system running on auto, and she was beyond tempted to lose herself in his arms, to drown in those intoxicating, foreign feelings. 

_ __ _

“I don’t want to kiss anyone else…”

_ __ _

Zack met her eyes and smirked. “But?”

_ __ _

“But maybe I should,” Sephya whispered, pulling at her lower lip with her canines and fidgeting with the bangs framing her face.

_ __ _

“You shouldn’t.”

_ __ _

He took a step closer to her, his eyes like two bright blue flames, scorching her soul and leaving yet another permanent mark.

_ __ _

“Why?” She asked, her voice low and husky, her eyes sweeping his body, not knowing where to settle because  the weak woman with very real, very human desires inside of her wanted all of it.

_ __ _

He stepped closer again, his lithe, ripped body  moving with the precision of the  deadly  soldier he was, with the powerful presence of a predator  that Sephya knew all too well because she had it, too. She pressed her back to the window, sucking in a breath as her  green  eyes met  the scorching blue of  his. 

_ __ _

“Because you’re mine,” Zack growled as he came to a stop in front of her, standing so close she could feel the heat emanating from his body, smell the dark spice in the air between them, a tangible manifestation of the desire connecting them.

_ __ _

_Mine. _She had felt that way about him before, too. _He’s mine._ Her hands on either side of her body tingled, begging to reach out and touch. _And I __want him all to myself__. _All she had to do was touch, let her guard down, set her fears aside, and admit that her body ached for him. He would give her all she wanted in a heartbeat, but…

_ __ _

“It’s time to stop, Zack.”

_ __ _

She had to force every word out of her mouth, clenching her hands to fists at her sides, telling herself it was all wrong, claiming him as hers when she wasn’t ready to make herself that vulnerable to anyone. When there was more predator than woman inside of her to love and Zack had no idea what he was getting himself into.

_ __ _

“… Fine, but I want you to do something for me before I let you go.” He looked into her eyes and she looked into his, and his smile was dark and sinful, and the most beautiful thing Sephya had ever seen.

_ __ _

“What makes you think I’ll agree to that?”

_ __ _

“Knowing that you’re brave enough to face your fears, and that you want me as much as I want you.”

_ __ _

“Cocky, aren’t we?” Sephya retorted, smiling and arching an eyebrow.

_ __ _

Zack smirked, then leaned close, ghosting his lips over the  shell of her ear, teasing her with a purposely soft exhale. 

_ __ _

“You’re  not great at hiding your emotions. They show on your face, in your eyes…” His tongue darted out, caressing her ear with short, light strokes. “I like it, and I want to see more of those expressions. I want your everything.” He straightened and his heated gaze swept over her body like a wave, reigniting the flame she had barely managed to contain  as it lingered on her still pressed together thighs and hard nipples pushing against the soft fabric of her sweater. “And now, I want you to be honest with me, and actually trust me before you ‘maybe’ force me to watch you kiss other guys.”

_ __ _

For future Sephya’s reference, and in past Sephya’s defense, her better judgment was currently impaired beyond reason by a mixture of simple biological reactions, Zack’s way too sexy smile, and her own conflicting feelings about what she wanted to do to him and let him do to her. Otherwise, she would have brushed him off a lot faster.

_ __ _

“I have no plans to go around kissing every guy I meet, but sure, what do you want me to do?”

_ __ _

Zack’s eyes lingered on Sephya’s lips for a moment, leaving her tingling with a desire to kiss him that he noticed with a smirk.

_ __ _

“Kiss me one last time,” he paused for a moment, and Sephya was about to say ‘yeah, sure, whatever, what’s one more kiss after everything else?’ when he finished his sentence and asked for the impossible. “and let me make you come.”

_ __ _

O-kay then… he was right about her being brave, and sort of willing to face her fears, and wanting him  more than she knew what to do with, but despite not knowing exactly what it was he was talking about, Sephya had a feeling Zack was giving her bravery and desires a bit too much credit. They  really  weren’t that amazing. 

_ __ _

Or so she thought…

_ __ _


	18. One Last Kiss

Sephya worried her lower lip with her canines while Zack stared, trying not to think about kissing her hard and shoving his tongue in her mouth and his hand in her panties. His success rate was on the lower side of the spectrum.

She was giving his request some serious thought, which could be a good sign,  but waiting for an answer was killing him. He wanted her so bad, somehow  knew in his soul that the two of them were inevitable even,  but it wasn’t just about that anymore. 

If she was going to force him to let her go, then he wanted to use this possibly last intimate moment between them to show her that she could trust him with her body, that he wouldn't hurt her, or force her. That she could always say no and shove him back, but he would still try, still stay by her side, still wear his heart on his sleeve and let her know how he felt, what he wanted, from her, from himself, from the two of them together. He wasn't the type to give up, no matter how hopeless the situation, and he also wasn't the type to hide stuff and expect people to read his mind. 

Sephya was complicated, the two of them being  together could be dangerous (though he had no idea why),  but he could deal with that; being intimate with her at first might be harder than performing heart surgery blindfolded, but he could deal with that, too. But they would never get the chance to even try to cross those bridges if she didn’t give him a chance.

Zack knew he was asking for too much  right now,  that his better judgment was at least partly impaired by how much he wanted her,  that it would be hard for them to just move on as if it never happened afterward, that it might end up  making things super awkward, that the right thing to do was probably to wait until she was ready to be in a relationship; but  some form of basic intuition kept telling him it was fine to take the risk now, that he could either push her now and risk breaking their entire relationship, or take a step back and watch her retreat into her comfort zone of no men (or anyone else, for that matter), no relationships, just let me do my own thing and  fight my battles alone.

“>I don’t think that’s a good idea, Zack,” Sephya  admitted as her eyes darted away from him, her cheeks red as tomatoes and canines still pulling at her lower lip. “We’re not in a relationship and we’ve already taken things far enough.”

“I get that but-” Before Zack could finish his thought, the doorbell rang and interrupted him. He sighed and pushed a hand through his already tousled hair. Great timing, pizza delivery guy… “Look, just give it some thought, alright? I promise I won’t hurt you, and immediately stop if you want me to. And I’m cool with us staying friends after and taking it slow, if that's what you want.”

The doorbell rang again just as Zack stopped talking and  since  Sephya still looked thoroughly overwhelmed, Zack patted her head and  offered a carefree smile before taking off to open the door. It was in her hands now, he was done pressing and was pretty sure she was done being pressed as well. 

***********************************************

As soon as Zack took off, Sephya took a deep, steadying breath and reached under her sweater, finding the elastic band of her bralette and pulling it down, then adjusting it a bit. After that was done, she turned around and pressed her forehead to the thick, cold glass of the floor to ceiling window, fanned herself a bit too, took some more deep breaths, thought about all the cute cats in the sector 7 undercity, and pushed Zack and his sky blue eyes and pouty lips and chiseled abs out of her mind. 

She needed to calm the hell down. She was five seconds away from  sprinting to him and begging him to do something about the  throbbing, wet warmth between her thighs, and constant urge  to  squeeze them together. 

While Sephya kept fanning herself and fogging up the window with the heat emanating from her riled up body, she heard Zack moving around behind her and the distinct smell of melted cheese and tomato sauce and pineapples? Of course, he’d said he liked those, wafted up to her nose and made her stomach growl.

“Hey, Sephya, you okay?” Zack called from somewhere behind her and Sephya wondered how he could sound so relaxed after turning her into a puddle,  currently  in the process of  streaming down his window. 

_ No, I’m not okay. I want to rip your clothes off and do… something… and I’m also confused and in need of a cold shower and a wall to punch my way through.  _ “Yeah, I’m good… just needed to settle down a bit.” Zack chuckled as she turned away from the window and she wanted to punch him,  too,  feeling as if her body wasn’t quite her own as she moved.  As a disciplined soldier in control of every movement she made, Sephya found it  quite  disconcerting  when her body didn’t respond as usual.  _ Calm down Sephya, don’t get sucked into his pace again, you got this.  _ “Mm, that pizza looks awesome.” She said as she strolled to the couch,  plastering a friendly smile on her face, and  eyeing the two open boxes of pizza on the  low table.

Zack smiled  knowingly  as he placed two glasses down  by the boxes, along with a fogged up bottle of soda,  dripping condensation onto the black glass of the coffee table. 

“Yeah, the pizza from this place is great.  Do you want to watch a movie while we eat?” 

He straightened and  parked his hands on his hips, watching and waiting by the TV while Sephya sat down on the couch and winced. Her panties were  damp and clinging to her core, which was also still aroused enough to send a jolt of pleasure straight to her stupid brain just from being pressed against the soft couch cushion. Zack noticed her discomfort and bit his lip as his  blazing, green and blue  eyes darted away. Sephya cleared her throat.

“Sure, you have any comedies?” 

Zack’s brows shot up. “Comedies uh? I  know a few  good ones, but that’s surprising. I was expecting you to say ‘gimme  one with lots of punching and explosions’ or something like that.”

Zack grinned after implying she was only into explosions and fighting, and Sephya stuck her tongue out at him.

“I like those too, actually, but if I watch one now I might get inspired and punch you too, just to make the experience more immersive.” She narrowed her eyes when he smirked, a cocky grin on his full lips. “I punch hard, for your information.”

She smiled sweetly and he laughed as he grabbed the TV remote and sat down beside her.

“Mm, I know, you’ve given Genesis a few shiners and everyone else at Shinra a reason to laugh their faces off.” He chuckled, pressing a button on the remote that turned the TV on,  and  made Sephya squint at the bright screen with a postcard-worthy picture of a white sand beach in Costa Del Sol  on it. “And  if we keep following that line of thought, then would you kiss me if I put on something romantic?” He grinned and Sephya elbowed his arm. 

“No kiss talk while we’re eating. Save it for when I have a full stomach and recharged patience.” They both chuckled as Zack fired up a streaming app on the TV. “Also, no Genesis talk. He practically asked me to marry him after I kicked his ass last week, this after lecturing me with a too eager reading of Loveless. I think he might need therapy…”

Sephya was half-joking (though Genesis really did have some strange tastes), but she hadn’t expected Zack to growl and almost crush the remote in his fist.

“I think I need to have a nice, long chat with Genesis…”

Sephya arched a brow. “Would his head still be attached to the rest of his body by the end of that chat?” She deadpanned.

Zack decided on a movie after scrolling through a few, then propped his forearms on his knees, leaning forward and keeping his penetrating blue gaze on the TV screen.

“He should know better than to touch what’s mine.” He growled, jaw set, and bulging muscles tense.

A rush of warmth invaded Sephya’s chest and cheeks, and butterflies danced in her stomach. She sucked in a breath, turning her face away from Zack, hoping to hide her telling reaction.

“Well, you’re welcome to punch him but you’ll probably have to get in line.”

Zack let out a short, low laugh and pressed play to start the movie and end the conversation. It was always interesting to see him get so intense, when he was normally a ball of energy and charming smiles that left Angeal sighing and women swooning left and right. Though Zack barely seemed to notice either of those.

“He’s dead if he touches you, line or no,” he said after a moment of silence, his voice low and dark, promising a world of pain to whoever crossed him.

Sephya was surprised by the  depth  of his feelings for her, a weight settling on her chest when she remembered her inability to fully reciprocate.  She was too numb, too scared, too crushed under the weight of responsibility on her shoulders. He might have actually been better off falling for Alena, and her  impulsive, often delusional brain. At least she was so crazy about him, she would probably jump off a cliff if he told her to, and definitely have no problem with him touching her.

The movie started with some friends talking on the phone, the  scene shifting between two different quaint houses and two different women moving around with phones tucked between their ears and shoulders. Zack picked up a slice of pizza and kept his eyes on the screen, the bright glow highlighting the handsome angles of his face and making the blue of his eyes so alluring Sephya could barely look away.

_ Get over it Sephya, you can’t give him what he wants and you have more important things to focus on. Such as keeping Hojo’s gross hands away from Aerith. __And ripping what’s left of Jenova to shreds __before it’s too late__._ Sephya bit the inside of her cheek until she tasted blood, clearing her mind and relaxing her tense muscles, then recalling the glimpses of the future she had accidentally had shoved into her brain when she’d touched one of _them._

_ It’s impossible, I made it impossible and they hate me for it. _She_ hates me for it. __There’s no way, there’s no way there’s no way…_ She groaned, then shook her head and Zack glanced at her, cocking an eyebrow, a half-full glass of lemon soda in his hand. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just kinda tired.” Sephya  lied, forcing a smile. 

Zack set the glass down, then caressed her back, pushing her hip-length hair aside and rubbing gently.

“Relax, it’s your day off and you need all the rest you can get. The world won’t end if you tune it out for a few minutes.”

The bright, warm smile that made Sephya’s heart skip a beat curved Zack’s lips, and she smiled for real, wishing she had the ability to tune everything out, but she didn’t. The world wouldn’t end, but being on guard was her default setting, had been since that accursed night… and even more so after she had had the truth crammed into her brain not long after.

“You’re right, thanks.”

They smiled at each other, then refocused on the movie, and Sephya was converted to the pineapple pizza club. The sweet and salty mix, combined with a hint of sour from the tomato sauce and the creamy, melted cheese was too good to resist. Now she knew why Aerith was such a fan of sweet and salty tastes when making snacks for herself.

Both of the pizzas Zack had ordered were gone in record time and the  slightly tense mood lightened up bit by bit.  They ate and chuckled from time to time at the silly stuff happening on the screen, then Sephya  shook with laughter when one of the women in the movie bumped into a lamppost while walking with her eyes focused on a hot guy across the street, and Zack fell back on the couch, laughing  with a hand over his stomach when Sephya sprayed the small sip of soda she’d had all over the empty pizza boxes. 

The mood was downright goofy after that and Sephya couldn't remember the last time she’d felt so at peace, so free. Zack really did remind her of the sky, sometimes calm and cheerfully bright, sometimes harsh and stormy, but always free, straightforward, doing things at his own pace, true to himself, his honor, and his dreams of being a hero of the people.

They inched closer to each other on the couch as the movie’s story unfolded, with some cute, heartwarming romantic scenes and passionate, close up kisses making Sephya’s cheeks warm. Zack put an arm around Sephya’s shoulders as he leaned back, holding her close, and she relaxed against him, resting her head on his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat, enveloped in his warmth.

The movie ended with a  simple  happily ever after that Sephya wished to have found in the cards she’d been dealt by life, and even after the credits rolled and nothing but a black screen remained, neither her nor Zack made a move to get up. Comfortable silence reigned for a moment, then Sephya looked up, straightening a bit, and Zack looked down, meeting her eyes, a faint green glow of mako dancing  in  the sea of blue  of his irises. 

“One last kiss?” He whispered, cupping her chin, his intense gaze making her feel like they were the only two people on the planet.

“Yes.” She breathed, and he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a gentle, slow caress of a kiss that tasted of lemons and goodbyes.

The threat of tears prickled in Sephya’s closed eyes as Zack dipped his tongue between her parted lips, stroking hers softly  and  retreating, tracing her lower lip before dipping in again, taking it slow, tasting, staking a claim. 

As Sephya tried to deepen the kiss, tugging at his lower lip with her teeth, cupping his cheeks and leaning closer, she realized Zack’s request for one last kiss was a cruel double-edged sword. It would hurt them both but it also got his point across crystal clear.

_ You’re already mine._

_ You can run, but I’ll catch you._

_ You can hide, but I’ll find you._

_ And when I do, I’ll _make _you mine._

She didn’t want to admit it, but lying to herself or to him was impossible when tears streamed down her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around his neck, getting on her knees on the couch and pushing him back, kissing him hard, committing his taste to memory, selfishly staking her own claim on what wasn’t hers to mark and never should be.

_ I can’t have you, but you’re mine._

_ I won’t let you catch me, but I’ll always want you to._

_ You won’t find me, but I’ll leave _ _behind _ _enough clues to keep you on the right track._

_ I will never be yours, you will never be mine, but I’ll never let you go._

“Don’t stop, don’t ever stop.” Zack breathed when Sephya began to retreat,  seeing his handsome face through a curtain of unshed tears. 

Her lips still hovering over his, she shook her head slightly. “I have to.”

“No, you don’t.” He countered, caressing her cheek with his fingertips as he moved his hand to the back of her head, then bringing her back down to his lips.

Sephya lost track of the time as they kissed, his  hands tangling in her hair,  his lips only leaving hers for a second to allow them both the time to catch a quick breath, and even that second without his warmth, without  the soft, wet  caress of his lips  was too long. An eternity of cold loneliness and loss. 

“Zack…” Sephya said as his hands slid down her back to the curve of her waist, straddling him and splaying her hands out on his toned, broad chest. Their combined weight made them sink into the soft couch cushions. “I can’t do any more than this…”

Even while they talked, their lips remained close, their warm, dewy breaths mingling, desire and longing charging the air around them.

“It’s alright.” He brought a hand up and brushed a lock of red/blonde hair away from Sephya’s face, tucking it behind her ear. “And this time, it’s goodbye for real. I won’t jump you again.”

Zack smiled, then brought her down to his lips by stroking her cheek and mesmerizing her with his sky blue gaze.

A cold iron fist closed around Sephya’s heart as they kissed  again, slow and soft at first, then hungry and desperate,  searching for more, for a chink in each other’s armor that might turn this into the first kiss of many, and stop it from being the last of the last. 

There was no chink to be found. Not in Sephya’s armor at least. Not yet.

And when they finally stopped, they were panting but still hungry, still desperate, still in lust, in like, in everything and nothing at all.

Whatever magic had brought them together and kept them coming back for more, it was powerful, dangerous, and intoxicating. And it was  going to stay and break both of their hearts  before it was all said and done.

“Don’t fall in love with me, Zack.” Sephya whispered as she stood,  the loss of Zack’s warmth chilling her body and freezing her soul. 

Zack stood as well, towering over her, and Sephya took a step back, squaring her shoulders and meeting his eyes, wearing her confidence like armor. Zack was one of the tallest people she knew, his body a wall of muscle that dwarfed Sephya’s small, lithe frame, and he wore his title of SOLDIER with a confidence and pride no one else could match, not even Angeal, the source of Zack’s default stance. That alone made him seem even bigger, larger than life, and it drew her to him like a magnet. 

"I’m not giving up on you, Sephya.” He announced, parking his hands on his hips, not about to take no for an answer. “You’re mine.”

Sephya’s cheeks caught on fire and she had to look away from him, hiding her face behind a curtain of her own hair. “How can you keep saying that with a straight face?”

“I just can, and it’s the truth.”

She glanced at him, still half hiding behind her hair. “You’re weird…”

“Sure thing, miss  _ normal.”  He deadpanned. _

__

“Hey!”

__

“You're one of the weirdest people I know.” Zack grinned, and Sephya just knew he was about to say something purposely stupid. “And you’re  _ unusually _ tiny.”

__

He patted her head, still grinning without a care in the world, and Sephya grabbed his wrist, shoving her hair away from her face and glaring.

__

“Do you _ want _ to be set on fire? I thought I warned you before.”

__

“I don’t, but you’d be a cute little pyromaniac.” He laughed and lifted the arm she was holding, forcing her to stumble forward and crash against his body. “There, now you can’t burn me without burning yourself.” He teased, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing her to him when she released his wrist.

__

She pinched his side.

__

“Let me go or I will kick you where it hurts next.”

__

He let go and jumped back, holding his hands up. Good for him because she could kick pretty hard.

__

“Please don’t.”

__

Sephya huffed. “I’m not tiny.”

__

“You’re  pocket size.”

__

“I will seriously kill you!”

__

Smiling despite herself, she grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it at him. He caught it just before it hit his face, then peeked out from behind it and flashed a goofy smile.  Groaning, she threw another and Zack used the one in his hands as a shield, bouncing the second pillow back to Sephya. She punched it hard on instinct before it could  reach her and it hit Zack square in the face when he let his guard down.

__

“Ah.” Sephya stared as the pillow fell to the floor  by Zack’s feet, then broke down laughing.

__

Zack blinked, then threw the first pillow back on the couch. “Well, I guess I had that coming…” He chuckled, picked up the second pillow and threw it on the couch, then set a hand on Sephya’s shoulder. “But you’re still tiny.”

__

His expression as he spoke suggested he was telling her she had a serious illness, and the shit-eating grin he flashed made Sephya want to punch him. She narrowed her eyes and settled for flicking his forehead instead of flinging him out the window.

__

“Alright genius, now you’re carrying me to the slums without a single break.”

__

“Ouch, that would be tough even-” Zack cut himself off when Sephya picked up one of the empty pizza boxes and the half-full soda bottle and sauntered to the kitchen, following her with his eyes. “Wait, you’re serious?”

__

“As a heart attack.” She clipped, giving him the cold shoulder. “Now come on, help me clean up, it’s getting late.”

__

Zack groaned, picking up the remaining pizza box and trudging to the kitchen. “Remind me never to lose a bet to you again.”

__

Sephya chuckled, patting Zack’s back and  flashing a sugary smile. “Don’t worry, you’re a big, strong soldier man, so I’m sure you won’t have any trouble carrying a pocket-size person.”

__

“You’re evil.” He groaned.

__

They both ended up laughing as they went about cleaning stuff up, and the mood was light and fun. Zack was still making the trip to the slums mostly on foot (he was lucky the corkscrew tunnel and trains were inevitable) and with no breaks, but he couldn't say he hadn’t been warned. And he didn’t seem to mind the punishment as much as Sephya had figured he would, for some reason.

__

Cleanup duty didn’t take long since there were barely even any dishes to wash, but unfortunately, the subject of height was soon replaced by a whole other can of worms.

__

Sephya’s upcoming 2nd class SOLDIER exam.

__

Hojo was stretching his luck so thin it was about to snap, and Sephya was having enough trouble pulling off the balancing act on her current tightrope without the added danger of a snakepit underneath, so things were about to get complicated. Talking about it reminded her of why she needed to keep herself on high alert and quickly put her on edge.

__

“So, I heard you’re taking the 2nd class exam next week. I can help you train if you want.” Zack said while he wiped the black glass coffee table with a damp cloth.

__

Sephya finished arranging the pillows on the couch and straightened, keeping her back turned to Zack and staring straight ahead, her vision of the gray, dark blue, and white open plan apartment blurry and unfocused.

__

“I think I might take you up on that, thanks.” She lowered her voice, focusing her eyes on the night sky outside the floor to ceiling windows to her left. “So is this promotion as unusual as I think it is?”

__

She sensed Zack’s movements as he straightened, as well as the tension in his body. “It is. You’re strong, that much is obvious, but things are still moving too fast.” He paused and  sighed. “But what’s even weirder is Hojo trying to pair you with Sephiroth and Genesis, what’s that about? I heard he keeps pushing for joint assignements and special training sessions.”

__

“He needs quality test subjects, and the only 1st class who didn’t give him the finger was Genesis, for some reason.”

__

A few beats passed, then Zack turned around and stepped close, his chest touching Sephya’s back, aggression coming off him in waves that made Sephya’s skin break out in goosebumps.

__

“Does that mean what I think it does?”  Zack  snarled, his  rich voice vibrating in Sephya’s chest.

__

“I don’t know. Are you thinking of special babies with the potential to incinerate the entire planet while making Shinra very rich?” Sephya retorted, bitterly smiling to herself at Hojo and Shinra’s messed up goals. They had no idea the kind of fire they were playing with, and would not live to tell the story if they kept it up.

__

“We need to talk. I need to know what’s going on with you, and Aerith, and Hojo and everyone else involved so things start making sense.”

__

Zack’s feelings were strong enough for Sephya’s sense to translate them into words that invaded her mind, making her dizzy. Frustration, anger, jealousy, and confusion were the strongest, flashing red before her eyes and forcing her to squeeze them shut.

__

“I agree, and I’ll tell you what I can, so can you settle down, please? You’re giving me a headache.”

__

Zack took a deep breath, noticing Sephya’s clenched fists and tense muscles, and the assault on her mind eased up a bit.

__

“Tell Genesis to back the hell off, or I will.”

__

Sephya sighed. “Focus, Zack. That’s not what matters here, and you're not picking a fight with Genesis because of me.”

__

Zack placed a hand on Sephya’s shoulder and turned her to face him. She met his blazing blue eyes without flinching.

__

“So you’re cool with having Genesis's babies now?”

__

“Hell no, I’m no having anyone’s babies.”

__

“What if Hojo forces you?”

__

“He can’t.”

__

“Why not?”

__

She made a snapping motion with her hands. “Because I’ll twist him like a pretzel and turn Genesis into a pile of ash before either of them touch me.”

__

“Sounds like a plan.” Zack smiled and pulled Sephya into a suffocating bear hug that almost made her disappear between his big arms. She let him hide her from the world and keep her all to himself for a moment, melting against him, then tapped his back because she was running low on oxygen.

__

“Um… can I have my body back now?”

__

Zack chuckled and let go, taking a step back. Sephya sucked some air into her lungs.

__

“Sorry, I just…” He trailed off and Sephya chuckled, a warm flush creeping up her cheeks.

__

“I know. You just screamed it in my head.”

__

‘_I’ll be your shield’ _had echoed in her mind while they hugged and his honest affection had caressed her like a summer breeze, reaching into the darkness of her weary soul and shining like the sun.

__

They smiled at each other for a moment, cheeks flushed and eyes filled with longing, then cleared their throats and went back to getting ready to leave. The real world was waiting.

__

__

*********************************************

__

__

_ About an hour and a half later – winding path through the  _ _ scrapyard _ _ in sector 5  _

__

__

Zack was going to be feeling his arms tomorrow. And his legs. And his broken back…

__

Sephya wasn’t that heavy but she’d forced him to carry her even while they  took the train down to the slums, which meant he had to stand the whole time and pull off one hell of a balancing act whenever the driver hit the breaks. Giving someone a piggyback ride inside a crowded train  car  had  earned them a lot of side glances and judgmental stares, too. Not that either of them gave a shit, but it was still kind of annoying to get judged by a mother letting her kids run back and forth in a cramped train carriage while stepping on everyone’s feet.

__

And the punishment wasn’t done yet because they were  taking the monster infested backstreets to  get to  the sector 5 undercity,  so not only was the walk longer, it was also constantly interrupted by Gorgers trying to munch on Zack’s face and  Wererats blowing clouds of dirt with their  tiny, scurrying feet.

__

_ Note to self: Sephya’s into torture, don’t get on her bad side. _

__

“Gorger at 3 o’clock, stand still so I can take it out, Zack.” Sephya said close to Zack’s ear, her warm,  lemon-scented breath fanning his skin and making him tense. 

__

He hit pause on his steady stride yet again, his grip on Sephya’s  toned  thighs tightening when she wriggled, pressing a small but strong hand to his shoulder and  pulling herself up a bit. A fireball crackled way too close to Zack’s  head  before shooting out to the right and exploding all over a Gorger’s face  (if gaping holes full of teeth could be considered faces), lighting up the gloomy backstreet for a moment.

__

Zack sighed. “These paths are bad enough during the day, why would you insist on coming here at night?”

__

Sephya patted the top of his head as she adjusted her position again, pressing her soft breasts to his back and wrapping her arms around his neck. Zack’s dick  pushed against his zipper, just one more stimulus away from turning into a full-blown erection. 

__

“Because I need to make you regret calling me pocket size. And the monsters here are so weak they’re putting me to sleep, don’t tell me you’re actually worried?”

__

“I’m not worried, but unlike a certain pocket-sized someone, I can’t shoot fireballs at will and blow Wererats away with controlled tornadoes. And my sword is back at the Shinra armory.” Zack scoffed and immediately felt Sephya’s glare burning a hole in the back of his head.

__

“Call me pocket-sized again and  I might get too tired to cast and let you kick Gorgers and Wererats all the way to the undercity.” 

__

Zack smirked. “Well, you being small and light is actually working in my favor right now, so that’s a plus. And this position is pretty nice, too.”

__

He stroked Sephya’s thighs with his thumbs, wishing there were no stockings in the way of him feeling her silky skin, and she yelped, jumping a little.

__

“Hya!” She tensed for a second and he felt her body warming against his. “You really want to polish your kicking skills, don’t you?”

__

There was a smile in her voice and  Zack  chuckled. “Alright, I’ll stop.”  As he prepared to change the subject, his smile fading as he thought of the conversation they’d been having back at the apartment, a Wererat jumped out of the rubble and forced him to stop.  _ Again. _

__

Zack kicked  the oversized rodent so hard it flew to the top of a junk heap and dissolved into green/white particles that  shimmered for a few seconds before dispersing and disappearing. Sephya whistled.

__

“Nice one, I think I’ll take a break after all.”

__

“Yes, feel free to torture me some more, I need it.” Zack deadpanned, then got serious. “So, about Hojo and special babies, care to explain yet?”

__

There was a beat of silence, then  Sephya  loosed a long  sigh. “Right…”  More  silence, broken by the occasional screech of metal hitting metal in the unstable junk heaps and  the  soft scraping of small feet and claws as fiends moved in the shadows. “So here’s the thing…”

__

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading ^^ Feedback is always appreciated :)


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